The time capsule that is _20th Century Women_ introduces us to life in California circa 1979. More specifically, the film introduces us to a single Santa Barbaran household. Under its roof lives Dorothea and her son, Jamie. They are accompanied by a 20-something photographer and a hippie mechanic, both of whom rent the extra rooms in the sprawling expanse of a house. They constitute a hodgepodge sort of family, mutually existing in a house, and a world, that is crumbling around them.
One of the many times we find everybody crammed together, they are all sitting near the television set watching Jimmy Carter give his famous “Crisis of Confidence” speech. Meanwhile, each of them struggles to face the various crises that dominate their own lives. Dorothea grapples with the challenge of raising a teenage son. Jamie deals with his newfound hormones and a taboo attraction to Julie, his longtime best friend and confidante. Abbie, the photographer, faces existential despair after learning that her cervical cancer has led to infertility. And the mechanic, William, tries to outrun the image of a former lover and makes many misjudgments along the way.
Everybody in this movie is lost. The adults are trying to find their path just as much as the kids. A simple piece of advice Abbie gives Jamie resonates throughout the movie: “Age is a bourgeois construct.” Though it is little more than a straightforward statement, Abbie’s words lead to some important questions. Does wisdom really come with time? Is stability ever really guaranteed? The film has an answer to these questions. For some, the answer may feel depressing, but sometimes the truth hurts. However, at least in the case of _20th Century Women_, the pleasure outweighs the pain.
Although it might not seem like it, poignancy is not the only quality that describes this film. Laughs far outnumber tears. After all, it is a comedy, and director Mike Mills makes sure there is no shortage of smiles. In _20th Century Women_, Mills directs with an improved sense of confidence. He takes more chances than he did in his prior work, and most of the time they pay off. When they don’t, it is forgivable, and by the end of the movie, the flaws are all but forgotten in sight of what the movie has to offer.
Mills is a master of creating memorable moments. It is often said that all artists use the clay of experience to mold their masterpieces, but Mills takes this notion to a whole new level. If a genre were dedicated to his work, it would likely be called something like ‘autobiographical fiction.’ There are many parallels between his life and films, in regard to both dates and situations. _Beginners_, Mills’s spiritual prequel to his newest film, is said to be a love letter to his father. _20th Century Women_ gives the same honor to his mother. Perhaps this is the key to understanding his mastery of the unforgettable. Real moments come from reality.
After a clunky start, _20th Century Women_ gets its fair share of memorable moments. Whether it’s a burning car in a parking lot, a mother’s expression when her son is in the hospital, a kid learning how to flirt with an older woman, or an aging couple dancing to a jukebox, the poetry of Mike Mills’ latest movie sticks with you. This welcome window into the late 1970s is proof that people, after 40 years, are still the same.
_MOVE gives_ 20th Century Women _4.5 out of 5 stars._