Written and directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, Short Term 12 follows the life of at-risk teenagers and their twenty-something supervisors at a short-term foster-care facility. Brie Larson’s Grace, the leading staff member, struggles with the kids’ own scarring past and her own attempt to provide the best care for them. Stunningly sincere, Short Term 12 tells an ardently engrossing tale that is endearing yet powerful.
‘I always wanted to work with underprivileged kids,’ the bright, new staff member, Nate (Rami Malek), speaks on his first day. ‘What the fuck is that suppose to mean?’ 17-year-old Marcus (Keith Stanfield) interrupts, ignoring Grace’s rebuttal. ‘I want to know what you mean by that — underprivileged?’
From this, Short Term 12 skilfully negotiates the tension between class divisions, especially in its gradual reveal of the supervisors’ backstories. Grace, for instance, has her own troubled history of abuse and a father who is about to be released from prison. As the go-to counsellor, Grace shows immense compassion towards the kids who have most likely been through the worst kinds of domestic situations, yet firmly holds her ground when the kids misbehave. Her long-term boyfriend and co-worker Mason (John Gallagher Jr.) seems almost too good to be true. He jokes about how much time Grace spends with her bicycle and cooks Mexican food for her. Caring and kind-hearted, Mason instantly grounds Grace’s own insecurity. Together, they go through the daily troubles with the teenagers, while dealing with their own impending future.
The intricate nature of this film’s subject matter, for one, is handled superbly well by Larson. Her instant likeability presents Grace as a deeply empathetic figure where her moments of vulnerability are devastatingly captivating. Gallagher Jr., too, is a worthy leading man, and young actors Keith Stanfield and Kaitlyn Dever provide nuanced performances to what might have been a poor stereotype of rebellious teenagers.
Short Term 12′s hand-held camera work could come off as a cliché, but fortunately, it feels anything but forced. Brett Pawlek’s cinematography features sharp, unstable camera movements that mirror the unsettled discomforts of the teenagers. The film’s colour palette consists of warm, muted tones that adds a layer of richness even to its darkest moments. Heavy with dialogue, Short Term 12 picks up the pieces of the aftermath and never shows who the abusers or real monsters are. The tragic consequences the victims face are displayed with a raw authenticity that does not wallow in its own self-pity, but instead, underlines the quiet sense of courage that all the characters embody.
At its very core, Short Term 12 is full of heart. The film encloses itself in intensely realistic characters and heartfelt storylines to produce a genuinely touching piece of art. Short Term 12 is by no means a standard feel-good movie as the complex nature of abuse does not often come with a conventionally happy ending. Instead, it subtly produces utterly endearing moments with thoroughly sympathetic characters who are their own heroes. Short Term 12 shows that temporary care can leave a long-lasting effect on someone — just like any great film.
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Short Term 12
Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
USA, 2013, 96 mins
DVD Release: 14 May
Actors:
Director:
Format:
Country:
Release:
