Aquamarine: Falling Hook, Line, and Sinker...

—1. Overview
—2. Cast and Crew
—3. Photo Pages
—4. Trailers, Clips, DVDs, Books, Soundtrack
—5. Posters (Current Films)
—6. Production Notes (pdf)
—7. Spiritual Connections
—8. Presentation Downloads

Director Elizabeth Allen has triumphed in her feature-directing debut with Aquamarine! I predict that this film will be the pre-summer hit for those lovely young ladies called “tweens�— those lost in the pre-adolescent fog between childhood and the teen years. Sorry guys… the target audience here is that group of girls, BUT do not refuse to go if someone invites you. (That includes moms and dads, too!) There is plenty of humor for everyone, and there are great special effects with that mermaid tail that will keep anyone interested in this movie.

The real attraction, however, is the way screenwriter John Quaintance has captured the essence of personality for this age group. The characters were so real that for a moment I thought I was sitting back in the office of the middle school where I work. Viewers will come away with a deeper understanding of how these “tweens� think and why they act the way they do. Knowledge always helps build bridges if used appropriately.

Succinctly, the story is of two young girls, Claire (Emma Roberts of Unfabulous) and Hailey (Joanna Levesque, or JOJO to her music fans), who discover a mermaid in the pool of Claire’s grandparent’s dying beach club after a terrible storm. The mermaid, Aquamarine (Sarah Paxton of Darcy’s Wild Life), has run away from her father (incurring his wrath and thus the horrific storm) because she refuses to marry without love. Her father does not believe that true love exists, and gives his daughter two days to prove that it does. Aquamarine enlists the help of Claire and Hailey who are struggling with their own personal friendship crisis—Hailey is about to move to Australia, leaving Claire behind in Florida—and the fun begins.

In the first moments of the film, it is a temptation to think that producer Susan Cartsonis has bankrolled a live-action version of The Little Mermaid. That supposition is quickly defeated as a film with an admittedly modest budget produces some great and complicated special effects and reveals multiple themes that are all developed and handled with great finesse.

The mermaid tail is amazing! From the production notes, I learned that four tails were created so that each scene in which the tail was prominent would be realistic. Jason Baird’s JMB FX Studio (known for work on the two Matrix sequels) really outdoes itself for creativity and imagination. The movie is never ruined by poor special effects and the special effects blend seamlessly into the screenplay—a delight, but not a distraction.

More importantly, however, this film does a quintessential job of exploring the feelings, passions, joys, fears, and overall angst of being a “tween� girl. The friendship between Claire and Hailey is filled with all the true emotions that I remember experiencing with my best friend at that age: shared secrets that no one else understands; dealing with body changes that make you want to hide behind baggy clothing and attract as little attention as possible; absolute dread of separation and loss of the physical bond between you; wanting to be noticed by the cutest boy in the known universe, but hiding from him all the same; warring with your parents because of the clash of their guardianship and your own emerging need to be independent; the pain of having to learn to let go and release the ones you love; learning that love is manifested in many ways…not just the boy/girl thing. The bond in friendship between female people is very complex and very different. This film powerfully resonated with every woman in the screening audience I was with, dominating the conversation when the movie ended and we were walking out of the theater. I also spoke with fathers, brothers, and boyfriends who made comments like, “so that’s why they do that,� or “now I understand a little better where that thinking or behavior comes from.� That’s one reason I encourage men to see this movie, too. You will be entertained (just ignore the screaming, it’s natural for the age!), but more importantly, you will learn some good stuff!

The other major theme of note is the veritable existence of true love. The girls try their best to find Aquamarine the true love of her life. Unlike other movies that leave the audience reeling because it is not likely that an 18- or 19-year-old will find the love of his or her life at that young age, Aquamarine takes the high road, proving that the love of friends—a love that would sacrifice all for the good of the other—is itself one of the strongest and truest of loves. As Elizabeth Allen says, “Ultimately… it’s a film about people standing up for each other and standing by each other through thick and thin.� We all need to be and to have people like that in our lives. We were, after all, made to be relational. I will be one of the first people in line to see Aquamarine when it opens nationwide. I cannot wait to see it again!

Postscript: There is a real hunk in this movie, too. Jake McDorman, who plays Raymond (the target of the girls’ affections) will be appearing soon on a lot of bedroom walls and school binders!

— Overview