Saint Frances

If I had to use one word to define the millennial experience it would be: uncertainty. We're uncertain about the future, uncertain about careers, uncertain about what haymaker to expect next. While I could go on and on about why this is, I think a lot of stems from a disconnect between our expectations and actual experiences. By this age you should be out of school. By this time you should be married. And after that you should have kids. By now you should have the career you want for the rest of your life. And if you're not there it can feel like failure. And Saint Frances captures this feeling beautifully.

The movie centers around Bridget, a 34 year-old server who's in a strange transitional period. She's just had an abortion just as she's about to start a new job, nannying a six-year old in an affluent suburb. But her seemingly cushy job is complicated by Bridget's repressed emotions and uncertainty, and trouble brewing at Frances' home.

This movie punched me in the heart in a beautiful way. It handles a myriad of thorny issues with grace and humor, the performances are all wonderful, and the filmmaking is grounded enough to make this feel achingly real. Here's what stands out.

Bridget

I love Bridget. Not just because Kelly O'Sullivan's writing and performance (yup she's the screenwriter) are so well-realized. But because her flaws and foibles are so easy to understand. Bridget feels a lot of shame because of where she is in life. She feels like she should be in a stable relationship, have a stable job, and know what she wants to do. Add the shame and feelings she feels about the abortion, something she feels like she can't talk about, and it's bound to create some outbursts and frustration.

It means she'll try looking for love in the wrong places with a more "age-appropriate" guy vs. a sweet younger guy who just wants to talk to her about said abortion, or get more mad than she should with Frances (who is also acting out due to a lack of attention and stress at home).

It means that Bridget, Frances, and Frances' moms collide together when they really need each other.

Some Hilarious Edits

Editing for humor is an under-utilized skill set. But Saint Frances gets some of its biggest laughs from perfectly edited scenes. Done right a quick edit is the perfect pay-off to a joke you didn't know was coming. For instance, at one point Frances gets frustrated on the playground and begins screaming when Bridget takes her arm to get her to come home. But instead of just screaming louder, Frances screams something that puts Bridget on the defensive and quick edit to Bridget and Frances being brought home by the police and another quick edit with Bridget explaining what happened in the aftermath. It's great visual filmmaking that perfectly nails the tone and comedic timing.

Sensitive Handling of Tough Topics

This movie is handling a lot of difficult topics including abortion, post-partum depression, familiar stress, race, and beyond. What I love is how the movie is respectful about each issue while finding interesting overlaps, human moments, and jokes through all of them.

One thing I absolutely adore is how the movie helps Bridget and Frances' more stay-at-mom Maya bond via overlaps between post-partum depression and abortion. They both feel shame like they failed. They're both dealing with embarrassing physical symptoms. But once they talk to each other, and get these feelings out in the open, they feel stronger and able to make stands when they need to.

Without preaching, the movie tries and succeeds at highlighting and normalizing a lot of female experiences.

Verdict: Wonderful

Funny, human, and moving, Saint Frances is a simple beautiful movie. 8/10