Giant Little Ones

Franky and Ballas have been best friends since childhood, both on the swim team, both with girlfriends. After Franky's birthday party something happens between them. The next day Ballas tells the school a version that protects himself, and Franky becomes the person everybody is discussing. Keith Behrman's bravest decision is to withhold the explanation. Franky does not place himself in a category and neither does the film; no label is issued to answer any of the questions raised. The director has said this was deliberate, that he wanted to describe a youth that falls outside binary terms. Josh Wiggins leads, with Maria Bello and Kyle MacLachlan as his parents. The father's parallel story is the strongest secondary thread in the film. Its flaw is that some supporting characters stay functional, and the ending chooses an emotional close over an actual resolution. Who it is for: viewers who like coming of age drama told without labels. Who it is not for: anyone who needs a definite answer.