Ripe DVD Review:

Not the first film to be about young teens experimenting prematurely, and certainly not the last, Ripe examines the specific development of girls. It is a very specific examination of the different directions young girls can take in order to deal with the changes in their lives. The only problem with Ripe is the strangeness of the situation which makes the characters nearly un-relatable, despite the fact that the film is still oddly interesting.

When fraternal twins Rosie and Violet are suddenly left alone on the side of a highway after a car crash kills their parents, they don’t mourn at all. Instead the two fifteen year hit the road, setting out on an adventure of their own. They steal what they need, and ignore any responsibilities whatsoever, but when they see that their pictures are in the paper, they decide to hide out for a while. They jump in the back of an army supply truck and find themselves in a military base. They plan to gather enough money to travel to Kentucky where they will live happily ever after. Their plans change however when the two girls begin to grow in their own separate ways. Attractive Violet begins to embrace her feminine tendencies and begins a romance of sorts with the attractive handyman they are staying with. Rosie, on the other hand, begins to look to violence as a way to come of age. She learns to shoot and fight rather than acting like a girl, yet somehow seems to be having an experience similar to Violet.

This coming of age tale is unique because it is essentially two different journeys in one film. Violet is the more traditional tale, although not without odd moments, and Rosie is a stranger warped coming of age tale that seems to imply she was more affected by her parent’s death. Because the film starts after the parents are already dead, it is difficult to know if the entire film they are coping, or if they are just very strange fifteen year old girls who never needed anyone but each other anyways.

As the film reaches the dramatic climax, there are sides which must be taken. As the girls choose different paths, they inevitably reach a place where they both want different things, and the audience is forced to hope for one over the other. The problem is that although one of the girls is a stronger character, it isn’t strong enough to care enough. I felt myself feeling one of the worst things in a film watching experience; indifference.



Ryan Izay