Written and directed by Becca Roth Yeah, Love follows Emily (with two m’s) on her journey from teen infatuation to teen romance. The film is a delightful look at a young girl discovering much about herself and her place in life.
Emily (Crystal Franceschini) has a crush on an older student. The girl’s name is Milo (Paton Ashbrook) and she is being chased by a lacrosse player and his two pals. Emily lives with her dad (Timothy J. Cox) and she is a shy girl who worships Milo from afar.
The path to true love is not necessarily easy, despite a promising start. Franceschini provides narration for the film which allows us to hear her thoughts. The teen worries that she is being obsessive about Milo and goes to see a school counselor.
Emily’s visit is, perhaps, the funniest bit of the film. She tells the woman she thinks she may be gay. “But you’re dressed like a cupcake,” exclaims the school official. A woman who clutches a hand puppet in her left hand. She and the puppet urge Emily to hold out for a boyfriend.
As amusing as that sequence is, it also points out a problem with the school system. The counselor’s refusal to recognize that Emily is gay is almost more disturbing than amusing.
Overall the film is a cute look at teen love and one girl discovering who she really is. Franceschini is effective as the infatuated teen. Ashbrook, despite being less fleshed out as a character, is believable as the girl that Emily falls for.
On a sidenote, Ashbrook is the daughter of Lorenzo Lamas. She has a minimum of lines, but, it is plain to see she is a chip off the old block.
Roth does a good job on editing the picture and shares cinematography and boom mike duties with Aaron Fisher. Which brings up the one complaint about the film; the sound. In the external scenes where Emily and Milo talk in the park, the sound is uneven and somewhat mismatched. The problem may have been a lack of layering but it was distracting.
Regardless of the sound issue, the film fully classifies as a “feel good” movie. We get behind Emily in her search for love. Timothy J. Cox manages to convince as the “Mid-LIfe” crisis dad who knows when a hug is needed.
Yeah, Love was Roth’s first effort as a writer and director. The film shows a deft touch and impressive confidence that signifies that she is one to watch. A 3.5 star film that entertains solidly.
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