American director Elizabeth Hittman makes films for and about young people, particularly women. She was one of the directors on the controversial TV series 13 Reasons Why, and she also made a film called It Felt Like Love, a quote from a harrowing, old Shangri Las song.
Her new film is a stripped-to-the-bone account called Never Rarely Sometimes Always.
Photo: Screenshot
We first meet Autumn at an end of year school concert. She sings and plays guitar, and after a rocky start – some punk heckles her for some reason – she finishes to applause.
Afterwards there’s a family supper, and Mum encourages Dad to say something supportive.
Dad is a jerk, in fact. As are all of the male characters in Never Rarely Sometimes Always – including her creepy boss at the supermarket.
Autumn works there part-time with her cousin Skylar.
Skylar notices that Autumn’s not well – girl problems. But she doesn’t know yet what that problem is.
In small-town Pennsylvania, people don’t talk too much about unexpected pregnancy. Particularly unwanted pregnancy.
Autumn has no idea what to do. She can expect no help from the ultra-conservative local clinic, and she has no intention of bringing her parents into it – least of all Dad.
The only one she can talk to is Skylar.
Skylar may not be the sharpest tool in the kit but she’s street-smart enough to know that there’s no help to be had at home.
They’ll have to go to New York City – miles away, and costing who knows how much. They manage to get their hands on some money. Not enough as it turns out.
One the bus, they meet a young guy who’s clearly going to feature later in the film.
Autumn and Skylar give him the slip and make their way to a Brooklyn clinic. Since it’s the American health system, the first questions are to do with money.
The fact that your first port of call, even at a clinic like this, is something called a “financial consultant” is more of a surprise to me than it is for Autumn.
And there are likely to be added complications that are going to add even more expenses to the trip.
Following Autumn and Skylar’s journey is a harsh lesson in how difficult the system makes it for young women like Autumn – 17 years old, and living in the wrong state.
Even in cosmopolitan New York, she’ll have to run the gauntlet of protest groups aggressively challenging her as she goes into the clinic. And once in, Autumn will face some pretty intrusive questioning.
The answers may seem simple – “never, rarely, sometimes, always”. But the questions are often complex.
The scene where Autumn addresses her history – the only hint we get about the events that led her to this situation – is told in one relentless shot.
Autumn doesn’t want to cry. Her mission is hard enough without putting emotional roadblocks in front of her.
But it’s not over yet, and the quest to, essentially, make sure she stays safe in the big, bad city with no money is what keeps us on the edge of our seat.
That and a growing wish to see the beginning of the film again. What is Dad’s problem with his daughter? Why was that young punk giving poor Autumn such a hard time? And did Skylar know what she was going through?
That’s a story for another viewing. But the first viewing was so touching – particularly first-time actor Sidney Flanagan as Autumn - that I was left strangely uplifted by what could easily have been dark and depressing.
Maybe that’s why I want to see it again, to see what’s under the surface.
