C'mon people! Give the director a break. This film ain't so bad. In fact, I think it is one of the better coming-of-age films I've seen. Despite some areas of imperfection, are the technicalities that important? Who cares if some pieces of the plot are questionable...the performances are heartfelt and strong. I was especially impressed with Daisy Eagan's performance as Rosie, the bitter and rejected twin of Violet, played by Monica Keena. After their parents die in an accident, Rosie and Violet head to Kentucky, where they plan to start over. On the way, they hitch a ride to an army base where they meet Pete (Gordon Currie), a loner who is living on the base. He eventually decides to let them live with him temporarily while they work on the base to earn money for their trip. Throughout the film, Rosie and Violet become progressively more detached from one another, physically and emotionally. Violet, the prettier and more sexually aggressive of the two, develops a crush on Pete, while her sister discovers a fascination with guns after meeting Ken (Ron Brice), an army official working on the base. When Rosie discovers that Violet has lost her virginity to Pete, she becomes dangerously jealous. She sees Pete as a threat to the bond that she and Violet share as sisters and devises a plan to get rid of him. The ending will shock and amaze you. It is by far one of the most devastating conclusions although it is genuinely real. This film is an excellent examination of how bonds between siblings are corrupted by the natural and inevitable events that shape sexual maturity.
Review of Ripe
