Little Sister — Blue Fairy Film Blog

Weird, a word we use liberally to mean many things. Little Sister is definitely weird, in this context meaning witchy, underground, genuine, funny, original, and the perfect example of the benefits of small scope storytelling. Set in 2008, Zach Clark’s comedy follows soon-to-be anointed nun Colleen Lunsford (Timlin) as she leaves her convent to go home to North Carolina. Her brother Jacob (Poulson) has just gotten back from the Iraq War, badly burned on his face, though healed, and he is completely out of sorts. Through commiseration, a little bit of hair dye, and a willingness to be open to new things, Colleen tries to bring her brother out of his shell and reconnects with her pot smoking parents as well (Ally Sheedy and Peter Hedges).

Everyone in this film is outstanding. Addison Timlin has only been in one other studio film, but I wouldn’t be surprised if her career explodes in coming years. Keith Poulson has been working with director Alex Ross Perry, and has been in other indie productions, but he hasn’t made his signature film yet. Ally Sheedy is quite phenomenal, and it’s surprising that the woman behind the iconic Allison Reynolds has only had one other great role in the past ten years. In all, these are actors who I will be watching very closely in the coming years.

Though this is the only film I’ve seen by Zach Clark, from his filmography I can see that he is a rising star independent director, akin to Joe Swanberg, Alex Ross Perry, or Lorene Scafaria. He centers his stories on fractured women, and deep dives into their confusion, inability to connect with society, and hunger for change. Colleen Lunsford is complex: she is a former Goth, a complete outsider, and a current candidate to become a nun. She tries everything she can in order to be there for her brother, though she can’t change who she is to make him feel better. It’s a great film, in that it’s about being who you are even in the face of adversity and societal pressure. Family is also a huge part of the story, because Colleen possessed a newfound sense of propriety, though that sense of superiority is undermined by her mother, a pot smoking maternal figure who still tries to understand and connect with her absent daughter. This film is also set near Halloween, which makes it a great watch for tomorrow.