SnoopyStyle
Sweetness O'Hara (Zoë Kravitz) has a dysfunctional family in a rough neighborhood. Her black mother is a mess and her white father is a violent drunk mess. She's a good girl getting picked on. Her older sister can't protect her anymore. Her only option is to turn bad to survive. Eventually she can't stand the pressure and helps selling drugs. This gives her the cred which she uses to turn her fortunes around.The movie starts great with Gabourey Sidibe's group picking on Zoë Kravitz. Zoë is outstanding. It has a real energy about it. I do have some confusion with some of the characters. Some things seem to be introduced out of nowhere. Maybe it's the editing or maybe it's the writing. Sometimes I'm just not 100% sure about. Nevertheless, it's great overall.
chulacita
This movie portrayed a clean version of trying to stay sane in the hood and learning to live with an alcoholic father. Through Hollywood there are many movies you may see that glamorize hood life, but so many few can capture the coexistence and survival of the family part of it like this movie has. The optimistic ending gives me hope for the character portrayed in this movie that she can and will live a very productive life despite the dysfunctional family setting. All too often a dysfunctional lifestyle mixed with drug use and alcohol is a death sentence, however this movie shows that it's never too late to change and turn yourself around inspite of your surroundings and upbringing. This movie gives me Hope and related to me so much in my real life that it's almost scary. Thanks for allowing me to post this and I hope I didn't spoil it for you. You just gotta see it to understand what I'm saying... Enjoy!
taylors9
I saw a screening of this film at the Mixed Roots Festival in Los Angeles, June 11, 2011. It is an excellent film. It is very well written, with prominent actors. I found the story entirely believable, and was moved to see the lead characters portrayed as capable of transformation and growth. Both Jason Clarke and Zoe Kravitz were superb in their roles as father and daughter torn between love and anger, and all actors carried their roles with great skill and realism. I have never submitted a film review before, but we were asked to review Yelling to the Sky in the hope that it will advance to the general theater circuit; therefore I am sending my thoughts and my vote.
Gecq
Victoria Mahoney is herself and made the first feature film depicting the lives of children of a "mixed-race" couple (citation Mahoney). Sweetness (played by Zoe Kravitz, daughter of Lenny Kravitz) is the name of an adolescent girl who is being the subject of racism from both sides, black and white. Her father (white) is a manic-depressive, violent alcoholic, while her mother seems on the edge of killing herself. When her older sister finally leaves the house to give birth to a child, Sweetness decides to turn around and be the bully instead of being bullied. This movie has not gotten a lot of appreciation or positive reviews by the media. Unrightfully so! I find it to be a powerful and intriguing movie with a lot of almost physically tangible anger and heart. Also stars Gabourey Sidibe in a small role.
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