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BEFORE I FALL — Review by Susan Granger

Susan Granger 0 Comments
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Lifting the supernatural premise of Harold Ramis’ “Groundhog Day,” this angst-riddled YA melodrama follows 17 year-old Samantha “Sam” Kingston (Zoey Deutch) who must re-live the same crucial Friday over and over again. It happens to be Cupid’s Day in the Pacific Northwest, as Cascadia High School celebrates Valentine’s Day with “val-o-grams” rose deliveries that gauge every student’s popularity. Read on…

Self-centered Samantha has reached the pinnacle of the popularity poll, surrounded by three friends: Ally (Cynthy We), Elody (Medallion Rahimi) and domineering Lindsay (Halston Sage). Like many admittedly bitchy cliques, they cruelly pick on an ostracized outcast, wild-haired Juliet Sykes (Elena Kampouris).

What’s more existentially significant is that, for Samantha, this particular Friday precedes a party hosted by temporarily parent-less Kent McFuller (Logan Miller), who has adored Samantha since elementary school, even though she’s currently enamored with hard-drinking Rob (Kian Lawley).

Their frivolity is followed by a fatal car crash. Forced to repeat that day over and over again, Samantha eventually becomes enlightened, learning important life lessons, even if it’s too late.

Based on the best-selling novel by Lauren Oliver, it’s adapted by Maria Magnetti and directed by Ry-Russo Young. Problem is: Samantha is somewhat passive in this doomed timeline loop; things happen to her as timely morsels of pertinent information about her little sister (Erica Tremblay) and mother (Jennifer Beals), among others, are eventually revealed.

In addition, Zoey Deutch, who recently played Bryan Cranston’s college-age daughter in “Why Him?” appears too sophisticated to be convincing as a high-school senior – particularly since this film’s intended audience is adolescent girls.

On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Before I Fall” is an awkwardly schmaltzy 6, delivering a sympathetic “savor every moment” message about redemption and hope.

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Susan Granger

Susan Granger is a product of Hollywood. Her natural father, S. Sylvan Simon, was a director and producer at R.K.O., M.G.M. and Columbia Pictures; her adoptive father, Armand Deutsch, produced movies at M.G.M. As a child, Susan appeared in movies with Abbott & Costello, Red Skelton, Lucille Ball, Margaret O'Brien and Lassie. She attended Mills College in California, studying journalism with Pierre Salinger, and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, Phi Beta Kappa, with highest honors in journalism. During her adult life, Susan has been on radio and television as an anchorwoman and movie/drama critic. Her newspaper reviews have been syndicated around the world, and she has appeared on American Movie Classics cable television. In addition, her celebrity interviews and articles have been published in REDBOOK, PLAYBOY, FAMILY CIRCLE, COSMOPOLITAN, WORKING WOMAN and THE NEW YORK TIMES, as well as in PARIS MATCH, ELLE, HELLO, CARIBBEAN WORLD, ISLAND LIFE, MACO DESTINATIONS, NEWS LIMITED NEWSPAPERS (Australia), UK DAILY MAIL, UK SUNDAY MIRROR, DS (France), LA REPUBBLICA (Italy), BUNTE (Germany), VIP TRAVELLER (Krisworld) and many other international publications through SSG Syndicate. Susan also lectures on the "Magic and Mythology of Hollywood" and "Don't Take It Personally: Conquering Criticism and other Survival Skills," originally published on tape by Dove Audio.