Writer/director Enid Zentelis makes her feature-length debut with the coming-of-age drama Evergreen, shot on-location in Seattle, WA. Teenager Henri (Addie Land) and her single mother Kate (Cara Seymour) move in with Henri's grandmother (Lynn Cohen) in a crumbling old house. Kate works at a factory but the working-poor household just barely gets by. Henri goes to a new school and meets Chat Turly (Noah Fleiss), a wealthy boy from an upscale family. Welcomed with open arms, Henri falls in love
with the Turly family (Mary Kay Place and Bruce Davidson) and all the material comfort that their lifestyle affords. Envy of this new family causes her to have shame for her own roots. John Stirratt from Wilco and Uncle Tupelo contributes to the musical score with his band the Autumn Defense. Evergreen premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2004 as part of the dramatic competition. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
The dialogue is on-the-nose and its lessons are pedestrian, but the film remains a "working poor-trait" of poignancy and grace due to Addie Land's unself-conscious turn.
A solid, affectionately told drama, at times wavering the line of excellent, that only disappoints when it doesn't add up to the fully-realized catharsis it is aiming for.
While the film has striking moments, it feels padded with events that seem freighted with narrative weight but end up not mattering at all to the story.
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