some of my least favorite films are late 90's prestige edgy ensemble dramas. i always like these because of the smaller actors, in this case chris cooper and thora birch. this movie cops a major 'tude but the more i watch older movies, it seems like they have a much greater thematic range when trying to twist the nips of the american dream, despite being self-censored.

never liked this one because it centered on the insufferably smug spacey character, playing possibly the ultimate great american novel protagonist, some middle aged dipshit pining for a 17 year old girl.

key moment at the beginning where kirsten dunst's hardbitten character flashes back to an american troop staggering around in grief dramatically outside of a home in the middle east (?), and a black man in a shantytown pleading directly to the audience as he's necklaced by a celebrating gang. but these are clearly memories of the anguished choice to take a photo, a nonsensical comment on photojournalism but appropriate for the unique burdens of being a content creator

then it hit me about half an hour later, this is an a24 movie. "It's About Trauma" is their "Characters Welcome". vapid