Opened: December 28, 2016

Directed by: Mike Mills

Starring: Annette Bening, Elle Fanning, Greta Gerwig, Billy Crudup, Lucas Jade Zumann, Alison Elliott, Thea Hill, Waleed Zuaiter, Curran Walters, Darrell Britt-Gibson & Alia Shawkat

A beautiful look into the coming-of-age story of a teenage boy, 20^th Century Women puts forth three engaging and flawed female characters that’ll have you begging for more films like it.

In 1979, Jamie Fields (Lucas Jade Zumann) is trying to be a regular teenager while living with his mother Dorothea (Annette Bening) and their boarders Abbie (Greta Gerwig) and William (Billy Crudup). Dorothea thinks Jamie needs to learn how to be a man and enlists Abbie and Julie’s (Elle Fanning) help.

The film is beautifully set up looking at Jamie’s current life, while also using narration to preview the future. Director and writer Mike Mills doesn’t make these characters anything other than who they are. They have good and bad, happy and sad, and flawed and refined moments, which makes them feel familiar.

Final say: Full of perfect moments. ★★★★★