• Reviews
    • Watch This
    • VODepths
  • Humor
  • On the Marquee
  • Looking Back
    • Classic Corner
    • Anniversary
  • Film Fests
Crooked Marquee
  • Reviews
    • Watch This
    • VODepths
  • Humor
  • On the Marquee
  • Looking Back
    • Classic Corner
    • Anniversary
  • Film Fests
Home
Reviews

REVIEW: Coming-of-Age Drama Giant Little Ones

Mar 28th, 2019 Eric D. Snider
REVIEW: Coming-of-Age Drama Giant Little Ones

Coming-out stories have become common enough that movies are starting to tell them with nuance. The “Am I gay?” question no longer has only two possible answers; there’s a whole spectrum, as 17-year-old Franky Winter (Josh Wiggins) discovers in Giant Little Ones, a discreet and decidedly un-salacious drama from Canadian filmmaker Keith Behrman. Franky is a virgin, but he lives vicariously through his lifelong best friend and high school swim teammate Ballas (Darren Mann), who supposedly enjoys sexytimes with his girlfriend Jess (Kiana Madeira) on the regular. Franky acquires a girlfriend of his own, the sweet but boring Priscilla (Hailey Kittle), but that relationship and his friendship with Ballas are thrown into confusion when Franky and Ballas have a furtive, drunken sexual encounter one night during a sleepover. The audience doesn’t know exactly what happened or even who initiated it; all Ballas says to Franky the next day is, “It would never have happened if we weren’t wasted.” End of discussion.

Except that Ballas apparently isn’t done discussing it, because soon rumors about Franky’s sexuality are swirling around the school, catching the attention of the swim team’s resident homophobe (Evan Marsh) and causing Priscilla to dump him. Franky’s butch, outspoken transgender friend Mouse (Niamh Wilson) tells him to embrace his queerness and people will stop hassling him about it, but while Franky does have some issues with homosexuality — his father (Kyle MacLachlan) recently came out of the closet and left his mother (Maria Bello), prompting bitterness — the simple fact is that he’s not gay. Or he doesn’t think he is, anyway. And why did Ballas lie about what happened?

There are formulaic elements to the film, which ultimately isn’t far removed from the coming-out/coming-of-age indie dramas of the last decade. But it doesn’t pander to gay audiences (even a shower scene has the swim team wearing shorts), and the story takes an unusual turn in the way that Ballas’ sister, Natasha (Taylor Hickson), also a social pariah for unfair reasons, becomes Franky’s supporter and confidante while Ballas pushes him away. Young people trying to sort out their own sexual feelings may find Behrman’s thoughtful, tender-hearted film particularly cathartic, maybe even instructive; everyone else can enjoy a well-acted and unpretentious coming-of-age story.

Grade: B-

1 hr., 34 min.; rated R for sexual content, language and some drug/alcohol use – all involving teens

Join our mailing list! Follow us on Twitter! Write for us!
 
Facebook Twitter Google+
Eric D. Snider

Eric D. Snider

Eric D. Snider has been a film critic since 1999, first for newspapers (when those were a thing) and then for the internet. He was born and raised in Southern California, lived in Utah in his 20s, then Portland, now Utah again. He is glad to meet you, probably.

Subscribe to our Newsletter:
* indicates required
Trending
Jan 20th 11:00 AM
Looking Back

To Never Leave: On Goodbye, Dragon Inn and Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets

Jan 20th 8:00 AM
Movies

Thoughts on a Biden-Era Cinema

Jan 14th 6:51 AM
Movies

Review: Disturbing the Peace

Jun 15th 9:00 AM
Movies

VODepths: What to See (and Avoid) On Demand This Month

Jul 21st 9:00 AM
Looking Back

The Unintentional Empathy of Brian De Palma’s Dressed to Kill

Jul 17th 3:39 PM
Looking Back

The Uncomfortable Legacy of the Revenge of the Nerds Franchise

Oct 26th 2:04 PM
Culture

The Feminist Sisterhood of Practical Magic

May 8th 6:00 PM
Looking Back

The Architecture of Batman ’89

May 17th 3:00 PM
Movies

REVIEW: Teen Romance The Sun Is Also a Star

Aug 5th 9:00 AM
Looking Back

Classic Corner: Carole Lombard Collection I

blank
cmpopcorn_white3.svg
  • Company
    • About Us
    • Contact
    • Writers Guidelines
  • Members
    • Login
    • SignUp
    • Forums
telephone icon [email protected]
envelope icon [email protected]
© 2014-2020 Crooked™ Publishing
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service
blankblank