To the Stars

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That was a memorable film. But why are American movies obsessed with past time ? Is it for lack of forseable future ? This film did something tho. It never took sides. It showed reality at all its bleakest levels. And it was brimming over of redneck sentiments. No wonder the US is such a shambles. Great film. Loved it !

I didn't know what to expect from this movie that I randomly chose on Amazon. Beautiful story about Iris, a small town girl stifled and controlled by her unhappy, unfulfilled mom, and by the petty and narrow minded townsfolk. Then a newcomer, Maggie, arrives, turning Iris' world into something completely unexpected, and welcomed. Loved the film, the setting, the costumes, the acting. So many great actors in this film. I recommend it.

.... maybe that was the point? I wasn't sure how to rate this because I thought maybe that was point; to leave me thinking, wondering? If so, then maybe it deserves a 7 or 8, but it just felt/feels "wrong." I feel like the writer messed up, because I wasn't thinking and wondering so much about the character's lives (although I did want a better look into those characters & their lives) as wondering why I was left feeling like I was given a synopsis, or outline of a story, rather than actually hearing and seeing a whole story. Indeed, now, having said that, I think maybe a 5 would be a more appropriate rating, because I just hit the nail on the head--this film was like being given an outline to what could have been a great story. Funny, having written this I now understand why I was left wanting more, and I do not believe that was the writer's point. But I'll let my original rating stand because I don't usually write reviews and maybe that means something too.... or not.

The acting was extremely well done, the plot - while not necessarily action driven - is done very well and the character development is fantastic.

To the Stars at first appears like a heartwarming film about two girls who discover their true selves. A symbol of hope for LGBTQ+ youth - the kind of film viewers turn to not only for entertainment, but to feel understood. Its stereotypical portrayal of lesbian characters creates a backwards message that does not belong in 2021. Rather than inspiring its target audience, To the Stars' mishandled LGBTQ+ representation raises the question of how period cinema can instill hope in audiences today. The two misfits find refuge in each other and gradually, Maggie helps Iris blossom into an independent, confident young woman. However, Maggie fails to achieve the same success. Behind her lies is the truth: that her father hits her, that she likes girls. Although she appears "normal," she feels far from it. This ending portrays the two LGBTQ+ characters as stereotypes, not people. Members of the LGBTQ+ community have been stereotypically labeled as pedophiles; the liaison between the thirty-year-old woman and teenage girl is downright pedophilic, which only underscores that assumption. Maggie's suicide at the end rehashes exclusionary narratives of the past. The ending of To the Stars echoes the tragic story arc prevalent in lesbian pulp fiction, a genre that gained traction in the 1950s. Although these novels overtly depicted relationships between women, publishers required them to end with characters "cutting their wrists, drowning themselves in a swimming pool, or... switching to heterosexuality,". Like in the pulp fiction novels, Maggie's suicide implies that she has gone "to the stars" - that it's best ending for a lesbian girl. To the Stars attempts to embrace acceptance, but its 20th-century mindset contradicts its flimsy 21st-century claim. The last shot depicts Iris and her new boyfriend kissing in the lake where Maggie drowned, a happily-ever-after ending for the straight girl but a morbid fate for the lesbian one. In these films, the characters are able to rise above the limitations of their times, or at least stay true to their identities despite struggle. Faced with even greater societal barriers than those that exist today, they still overcome their obstacles. This kind of historical drama gives us hope. To the Stars does not.