Photo by Kino Lorber
It takes a special sort of film to win the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, and it is absolutely no surprise that “Scrapper” claimed that title. Writer/director Charlotte Regan has proven her worth with her first feature, a delight of a story full of pain, laughter and love.
Georgie (Lola Campbell) has it all figured out. She has to, really. Her mother has died, and she’s told all her teachers that her uncle has moved in, appeasing them all into complacency so that she can be left alone to care for herself.
She works tirelessly (and not so legally) to pay rent in her mother’s absence and provide for herself. And she’s doing a pretty good job—apart from the fact that her main source of income is stealing and reselling other kids’ bikes (her best friend, Ali, played by Alin Uzun, helps her with that, as well as keeping her company and being a great sounding board for ideas). But it is clear, if only to the audience, that such a life is not going to be sustainable in the long run.
Enter Jason (Harris Dickinson). He has not been a part of Georgie’s life at all, and now he’s suddenly here to get to know her—a detail that Georgie certainly hasn’t overlooked. But Jason is possibly more of a child than Georgie at this point, and his concept of a father is vague and incomplete.
Cutting between the main narrative and quick, mockumentary-like scenes of peripheral characters talking about Georgie, the film details the journey of this father and daughter as they get to know the only family they have left and form an odd but wonderful bond.
But the true dynamite of this story is of Georgie working through her grief. The way that Georgie holds her mother in her mind is tender and childlike—in fact, this is the only way we see Georgie really act like a child. She doesn’t really know what to do with her grief, so she channels it into survival.
Jason, on the other hand, focuses less on grief and more on the overwhelming responsibility that he’s stepping into. A lot of his reactions are not the typical “dad” reaction—he’s still learning that. But we do see an effort on his part to learn.
Though every actor in “Scrapper” makes the film enjoyable in their own way, Campbell is by far the scrappy belle of the ball. Her humor is on point, and the bridled emotion she has in several scenes makes Georgie all the more relatable. Her chemistry with not only Dickinson, but also Uzun, truly makes the film stand out.
From the relationships and character development to the comedic timing and overall atmosphere of the film, “Scrapper” is a film you should be sure not to miss. The film will play at Midtown Cinema in September.
Midtown Cinema is located at 250 Reily St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.midtowncinema.com.
September Events At Midtown Cinema
Late Night Frights
“Night of the Living Dead”
Friday, Sept. 8 at 9:30 p.m.
“An American Tail”
Saturday, Sept. 9 at 11 a.m.
“Do the Right Thing” (Restoration)
Sunday, Sept 10
Tuesday, Sept. 12 at 7:15 p.m.
3rd in the Burg Movie Night
“Donnie Darko”
Friday, Sept. 15 at 9:30 p.m.
Sunday Doc Series
“I Am Not Your Negro”
Sunday, Sept. 17 at 5 p.m.
“Tokyo Pop” (Restoration)
Sunday, Sept. 17 at 7 p.m.
Down in Front! Presents
“Voyage of the Rock Aliens!”
Friday, Sept. 22 at 9:30 p.m.
Late Night Frights
“The Babadook”
Friday, Sept. 29 at 10 p.m.
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