Earlier this year, we did a collaboration with the International Film Festival Rotterdam, releasing a special edition of The New Shoppingbag as part of the official festival merchandise. This was of course a thrilling experience for us, yet in this article we want to focus on another highlight the IFFR offered us: the festival’s closing movie, 20th Century Women.
20th Century Women is an intimate and colourful insight of the life of 15 year old only child Jamie and his 40 year older single mom Dorothea, set in 1979 Santa Barbara. We find the two at a time that Jamie’s struggling to become a man, falling in love with his best friend Julie and discovering the thrills of the upcoming Californian hardcore punk scene.
Dorothea and Jamie live in their house together with aspiring photographer Abbie and William, who helps Dorothea renovate their house. It’s through Julie and Abbie that we get a profound view into Jamie’s adolescent psyche and his efforts on trying to get a grasp on the world.
Even though Jamie is the centerpoint of the movie, it’s really his mother Dorothea (beautifully portrayed by Annette Bening) who 20th Century Women is about. The movie gives a stunning and heartwarming view on a single mom doing her utmost best to prepare her son, who’s balancing on the edge of boy and manhood, for the world and his future.
The movie offers a colorful view on life in California in the late seventies, but most of all 20th Century Women is a very humane and fun reflection on the ties between family and friends, so vulnerable, yet so strong.
Since this week you can view 20th Century Women in cinemas throughout the Netherlands.