All The Light In The Sky is a perfect hybrid of documentary and narrative. Don’t let me mislead you, the story was written out, the locations scouted, the actors cast… yet everything from the delivery of the lines, to the camera shots, to the plot itself was authentic to the point of being uncomfortable.
Jane Adams (who also co-wrote the film) stars as an aging actress living on the beach in California. There is a telling scene in which Adams’ character Marie is speaking with her agent, finding it more and more difficult to land roles. Just as you’re wondering how autobiographical this film actually is for Adams, she asks her agent about the possibility of an independent movie that pays next to nothing. I don’t suppose I have to spell out the ironic parallels…
The bulk of the plot took place when Marie’s niece Faye came for a visit. An aspiring young actress herself, Faye and Marie’s bond was instantly obvious as the coming-of-age tale of love, life and happiness unfolded for both of them.
As I mentioned, the film is awkwardly authentic. The lines were not delivered with perfection, the dialogue not crafted with specific precision. This is not to say the delivery was sloppy, just very real – as though the large majority of it was adlibbed, without any intention of doing more than one take at a time. They interact, laugh and even curse in an unscripted way.
There is a recurring theme of sex and sexual tension, uncanny for anyone who’s ever been there. It explores everything from the awkward “should I go for the kiss or not?” scenario to “I just had a one night stand, tried to sneak out, forgot my keys and now I’m locked out.” The film is not shy about nudity, but not for the sake of sex or shock; in a way we see it every day… getting changed.
There is only a small story arch; no major conflict, no resolution, no protagonist or antagonist. It’s more a snapshot of a week in a fairly average life. And yet, that seemed to be enough.
Only one profound moment truly stood out in the film – although it was subtle – and the context came out of a seemingly irrelevant subplot. Throughout the film, Marie does research for her upcoming role by shadowing a weather scientist (or whatever his official title was) He drones on and on at points, losing Marie (and frankly the audience) in details. However, towards the end – as he educated Marie about the sun – there was a line that directly paralleled her character’s life. For that matter, everyone’s life. It certainly resonated with me as an inescapable truth about getting older: He said (and I’m paraphrasing) “The sun is there, and useful, until it ultimately goes away.” He calls it a “middle-aged star,” to which Marie responds with a half-blank stare seamlessly giving the audience a glimpse into her thoughts.
Could this also be from where the film draws its title?
And then I got it. The film held my attention the entire time, but I hadn’t gotten it. It’s a simple narrative about growing up. Faye is young, with her whole life ahead of her (as Marie says, “you can do anything”), but faces realities that many young people face: young love, a troubled home, career goals, etc. At the same time, Marie faces the same: loneliness, consfusion, a stagnant career… There are no resolutions to these problems in the film, because there’s never really a resolution to these things in real life. And that’s exactly what All The Light In The Sky captures: a brilliant, simple snapshot – purely authentic and unadulterated.
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