This week’s Cinechats selection: The Starling Girl
The campus community is invited to enjoy a film screening presented by Cinechats, which is supported in part by ºÚÁÏÍø, Durham College, Arts Forum and the Durham Council for the Arts. Age restrictions apply, as most films are rated for those 18 years of age and older.
This week’s selection is (USA, 2023).
At 17-years-old, Jem Starling (Eliza Scanlen) is becoming a young woman and becoming aware of her sexuality. But indulging it is certainly not encouraged in her evangelical Christian community in small-town Kentucky. On the contrary, the expressive worship dances done by Jem and other teenage girls at her church are vetted for modesty and traces of pride. And Jem's parents (Jimmi Simpson and Wrenn Schmidt) are on side with their pastor (Kyle Secor) when he seeks leave for his younger son to start ‘courting’ Jem. Her parents tell their distinctly unenthusiastic daughter that it's "[all part of] God leading you to fulfil your purpose." The unspoken implication is that Jem's purpose can be found only on the prescribed path to marriage and motherhood. Instead, she is increasingly attracted to forbidden fruit, in the form of the pastor's older son Owen (Lewis Pullman), recently back from a missionary role in Puerto Rico and now serving as youth pastor. Before long, the sexual and romantic attraction is mutual. But he's older than her and he's already married. It's an effective coming-of-age story, in a different sort of setting than audiences are used to.
- When: Thursday, November 9 at 6:30 p.m.
- Where: Science Building, Room 2240
For more information about Cinechats, call 905.576.0359. Note: Film selections are subject to change.
