Somersault
by Cate Shortland
List Price:
Our Price: $7.86
You Save: $7.08 (47%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $4.97 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD releases
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD Cover Information
Actor: Abbie Cornish, Damian de Montemas, Lynette Curran, Olivia Pigeot, Sam WorthingtonDirector: Cate Shortland
Brand: Magnolia Pictures
Cinematographer: Robert Humphreys
Writer: Cate Shortland
Editor: Scott Gray
Producer: Anthony Anderson
Producer: Jan Chapman
Producer: Miranda Dear
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 106 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-07-25
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Model: 10029
Studio: Magnolia
Movie Reviews of Somersault
Movie Review: Is there a Better Psychological Drama on DVD Today?
Summary: 5 Stars
At its core, this is a very intense and uniquely perceptive psychological drama. Some would consider it to be a coming-of-age movie because it deals with a teen and sexuality; but I think that is far to shallow analysis. Indeed, this is not a movie about sexual awakening, or even about a girl trying to use sex to get what she wants. Notwithstanding what some 'feminists' seem to believe, there is an innate need, a yearning within every normal girl for male attention. But, it goes much further than that; it is not simply for male attention, but for unselfish, loving male attention that says, 'I love you for the unique, feminine, person you are.' It is a yearning for mature male ratification of a girl's social person, her intellectual person, her spiritual person as well as for her female physical person. This whole movie is about Heidi's longing for that kind of love.
It is too easy to say that when Heidi started to kiss her mother's boyfriend that it was somehow due to her sex drive. The way we see Heidi as the movie progresses, we see that she really has the emotional maturity of about a nine to ten-year old. Over and over, when she is by herself, we see her fascinated by things that would more interest a grade schooler than a sixteen-year-old; spraying the hose at the gas station window out of frustration is certainly more childish than even adolescent. So, when she is with her chronological age-mates she has to act a part that she is emotionally to unable to handle. She knows that well-adjusted adolescents her age are starting to learn to express their sexual love. Emotionally, she is still a preadolescent, so she is unable to recognize the mature sexual signals. Therefore, when her mother's boyfriend shows her the slightest attention, she makes a grave emotional error by responding sexually.
A mature man, instead of responding sexually, might have given her a fatherly hug and told her that she was very special, pointing out some of her traits that he saw to be that of a developing fine young lady. When he didn't respond in the way she really needed, and when her mother freaked out, instead of being a positive event it turned into an emotionally damaging event that left Heidi both bewildered and with a further loss of self-esteem. Not knowing how to handle the situation, and with no adults in her life who could nudge her toward maturation, she could only think to run away.
So, throughout the movie, she responds to negative situations in ways that make her situation worse, lowering her self esteem even more. The lower her self esteem becomes, the needier a person she becomes. To Joe's credit (her perceived boyfriend), as he began to see more into the 'inner Heidi' the more he seemed to realize her emotional immaturity so he became less interested in her sexually as he began to care about her. Also undoubtedly involved, was his own insecurity about dealing with such serious emotional immaturity. Finally, during the pivotal scene with Irene, Heidi's mature landlord, she finds someone who recognizes her emotional immaturity and insecurity. Irene's first action is to help Heidi start to deal with her insecurity - by facing up to what she has done by calling her mother.
My DVD library consists of more than 2,000 DVDs dealing in some way with children and teens, and I cannot think of any of them that surpasses this movie it is perception and presentation of an emotionally hurting teen. Abbie Cornish's depiction of such a girl is masterful beyond her years. Not only is she profoundly believable, the story itself is more than just plausible. You feel as if you are seeing an actual event.
For those who are concerned about such things, there is a bit of coarse language. However, it is infrequent and just enough to give flavor to the ranching lifestyle. There are several instances where Heidi's breast are seen, and a couple of scenes where she is totally naked, but curled up to preserve her modesty. For a few moments she is seen naked outdoors at night from the rear. One of the young men trying to take advantage of her when she was drunk is seen naked momentarily. I am grading this movie down a half a rating (so it should be 4-1/2 stars if I could in this forum) because there is absolutely no reason whatsoever for there to be a gayscene, even if it lasts just a couple of seconds. It would have been far better to use that time showing Joe asking some knowing, mature person how he should behave toward Heidi's problems.
With these caveats in mind, I don't think you can find a more true and believable psychological drama. In fact, it would be interesting to show this movie to child and teen psychology students and to listen to their discussion. Lacking that opportunity, I'd say to just watch the movie, enjoy it; but don't neglect to also think about girls you might know who are emotionally immature, like Heidi...
Summary of Somersault
SOMERSAULT - DVD MovieSimilar DVD Movies
Descent (Original NC-17 Version)Release date: 2008-02-05; DVD
Best price: $6.90
Price in other shops:
RestraintMOYER,STEPHEN; Release date: 2008-08-19; DVD
Best price: $1.79
Price in other shops:
Now & LaterCINEMA LIBRE; Release date: 2011-05-10; DVD
Best price: $14.66
Price in other shops:
Tanner HallABE; Release date: 2011-12-13; DVD
Best price: $13.25
Price in other shops:
Stealing BeautyFox; Release date: 2002-01-08; DVD
Best price: $4.39
Price in other shops:
TriangleFirst Look Pictures; Release date: 2010-02-02; DVD
Best price: $11.67
Price in other shops:
AdriftUNI; Release date: 2011-06-14; DVD
Best price: $9.98
Price in other shops:
Last Night (+ Digital Copy)EBH; Release date: 2011-08-02; DVD
Best price: $4.42
Price in other shops:
The Sentiment of The FleshRelease date: 2011-07-26; DVD
Best price: $12.98
Price in other shops:
CandyTHINKFILM LLC; Release date: 2007-03-27; DVD
Best price: $5.59
Price in other shops: