Bitsy sees the Wexlers’ arrival as the chance to have the children she always wanted and turns into the worst kind of helicopter parent, concerned about everything from Davey’s bike-riding habits to her new friends. Davey deals with so much, from a nearly comatose mother to a constantly hectoring uncle. Most of the threads from the book end up in the film, and while the Blumes get points for staying true to source material, the movie doesn’t have the time to give each narrative the attention it deserves. In the absence of a competent matriarch, the family, including Davey’s younger brother, moves temporarily from Atlantic City to Los Alamos, N.M., to stay with Gwen’s fastidious sister Bitsy (Cynthia Stevenson) and brother-in-law Walter (Forrest Fyre). The teen protagonist, Davey Wexler (Willa Holland), has suddenly lost her father, and his death has left her mother, Gwen (Amy Jo Johnson), spiraling into a pill-popping oblivion. The adaptation of Blume’s less recognizable 1981 title “ Tiger Eyes” keeps the heart of her novels, but replaces the laughter with a heavy dose of sentimentality.Īdapted by mother and son, the movie closely follows the novel. Maybe that’s why the beloved novelist behinds 1970’s “ Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.” has guided multiple generations through the awkwardness and agony of puberty.īut the writer and her director son Lawrence took a more serious route for her first foray onto the big screen. Judy Blume understands pain, but she also seems to know how important laughter is.
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