Review of Daisy Winters

I love seeing films I have not seen trailers for beforehand, and also love discovering films I hadn't heard about: both applied to "Daisy Winters," as I unexpectedly found it playing at two theaters here in Sacramento, CA while doing my weekly showtime and title search online for films opening this week and playing locally. I like Brooke Shields and her acting range (her hilariously over-the-top performance as the "neighbor from Hell" on TV's "The Middle" sitcom comes to mind as just how against-type she can play so well) over all these years, so my best friend and I decided to throw caution to the wind and pay to see it. We were both rewarded: this film walks a tightrope, with characters you're very aware could go dark or in any direction at any moment, including stereotyped paths seen in many films before this one, but who instead turn out to be fully-realized humans trying to do their best and grow as adults (including children forced to grow up too soon), and sometimes succeeding. I've seen a few character studies this year that made me feel as quietly exhilarated as this film did: "Wonder," with Julia Roberts, Greta Gerwig's "Lady Bird," and the sadly under-appreciated "The Book of Henry." I highly recommend this film for anyone who loves character studies that take you on a fresh and unexpected journey of life experiences.