Date Released: 2010
Director: Rob Reiner
Actors/ Characters: Madeline Carroll/ Juli Baker, Callan McAuliffe/ Bryce Loski, Rebecca De Mornay/ Patsy Loski,  Anthony Edwards/ Steven Loski, John Mahoney/ Chet Duncan, Penelope Ann Miller/  Trina Baker, Aidan Quinn/ Richard Baker, Kevin Weisman/ Daniel Baker
Summary: Â Two eighth-graders start to have feelings for each other despite being total opposites.
Review
I instantly fell in love with this film. The coming of age themes merged with the sweet relationship of Bryce and Juli and the complex and touching family elements simply captivated me as I watched this movie. Rob Reiner is a fantastic director and using the backdrop of the 1950s and 1960s he truly succeeded in making this story "timeless". Â The story of Bryce and Juli is ageless and one that I would highly recommend to anyone.
The way of storytelling in this film was pure genius, Rob Reiner's use of the different perspectives of Bryce and Juli added such extensive depth to characters that a normal, one dimensional and linear story would not have allowed for. I loved the fact that a period of time would pass for example the opening of the film where we would be introduced to a section by one character ( at the opening it is Bryce ) and then at the end of that section the story would reverse back and explain it from the other characters POV. The use of the auto diegetic voice over in this film was excellent further allowing you to truly understand the characters emotions and feelings at certain points. I was really sweet seeing the inner monologue's of the teenagers when they had feelings for one another but also infuriating knowing the omniscient knowledge and truth of situations when the characters themselves did not.
Bryce and Juli's relationship was so touching and adorable. Both characters were so unique and it was really refreshing to watch. Â I loved the reversal of situation that occurred during the film thus fitting the film's title of 'Flipped'. At the start Juli is falls madly in love with Bryce yet Bryce thinks of Juli as a nuisance and weird. But as time passes Bryce realises that Juli is one of a kind- she is a compassionate, selfless and brave girl which is why Bryce develops feelings for her as he gets older. However as Juli gets older she realises that Bryce is selfish and follows the crowd rather than being his own man and therefore her feelings towards him disappear just as his develop. It was so infuriating watching the pair falling in and out of love with each other at just the wrong time.
As I mentioned earlier, I thought the characters in this film had so much depth to them and although the story was fairly simple, if not timeless, the characters and the emotion of the film was what stood out for me and was the reason I loved it so much. My favourite character was Juli, it was so touching to watch such a wholesome and kind hearted, yet realistic character. I loved how Juli was completely unafraid of being herself and how she stood up for what she believed in so strongly. The sycamore tree storyline was so moving and I did in fact shed some tears after it was chopped down. Madeline Carroll performed her role excellently and her performance following the chopping down of the tree broke my heart . The part when Juli's dad came in with the painting of the tree was so poignant.
One of the main themes in the film that I loved was the family element. I really enjoyed the fact that although there was the romance element to this film it was also heavily centered around family life- which of course is a very important element in any teenager's life. I adored the Baker family so much. Although they were as well of as the Loski's they lived with so much love and support for one another and the parents were so caring for each other and their children. Some of the scenes with the Loski's were just awful to watch especially the scene following the dinner between the Bakers and the Loski's when Steven  slaps his daughter. I really liked Chet's character as his nature was very similar to Juli's and I really enjoyed watching their relationship on screen. The dinner scene as well was excellent as it really depicted the division and differences between the two households and watching it filled me with tension.
I loved the element of disability also apparent in this story- often in films disability is not touched upon and if it is people with disabilities are alienated and not presented to have a personality or emotions which really upsets. I greatly appreciated Reiner's representation of disability as I thought he handled it in an extremely sensitive way. I loved Daniel's character and how Juli and her father responded to him as Daniel was actually represented as a person rather than a mere annoyance or outsider. It broke my heart during Daniel's meltdown in the ice cream shop as it was extremely emotional seeing how hard it is for people with disabilities to live their lives and handle their emotions. However I loved how the outburst was not in any way dramatised or exaggerated.
The ending of the film was beautiful. When Bryce planted the sycamore I was so happy because he finally seemed to appreciate Juli for who she was and he made such an effort to understand her and get to know her a bit better.
Ultimately I though this movie was perfect. This is a film I think almost anyone would enjoy watching and be able to relate to as its themes and ideas are ageless. More people need to watch this film and I can't recommend it highly enough.