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A14 PEOPLE & ARTS
Wednesday 17 May 2023
An intoxicating, delicate coming-of-age tale in ‘The Starling Girl’

By LINDSEY BAHR the right Owen someone
AP Film Writer who you believe Jem would
Laurel Parmet’s directo- fall for and also someone
rial debut “ The Starling that the audience falls for
Girl “ puts the viewer in the too, at least for a time. Pull-
modest shoes of a 17-year- man, Parmet said, had the
old girl named Jem. She’s gentle charisma to strad-
grown up in a Christian fun- dle the complex line. Jem
damentalist community in can’t see that he’s a lost
Kentucky and has internal- soul himself, and he likely
ized its teachings, feeling doesn’t even realize he’s
deep shame for drawing a groomer or in the wrong.
attention to herself and her In rehearsals, Scanlen, Pull-
body, which as an artisti- man and Parmet would try
cally-inclined member of to determine who has the
the dance troupe is espe- power in a certain scene.
cially difficult to avoid. “Plenty of people walk out
But her world starts to hating Owen, which is, you
change when Owen, a know, valid and makes a
handsome 28-year-old lot of sense,” Pullman said.
youth leader played by “But I think my weird goal in
Lewis Pullman, returns from all this was, if there was any-
a mission in Puerto Rico. body who was in a relation-
Jem, played by Australian ship similar to it, I wanted
actor Eliza Scanlen, devel- him to be approachable
ops an intense infatuation enough that they could see
with him that soon evolves themselves in him, right?
into something more. Jimmi Simpson, back row from left, Lewis Pullman, Austin Abrams, foreground from left, director I didn’t want to make him
It’s a film about many things Laurel Parmet, Eliza Scanlen and Wrenn Schmidt pose for a portrait to promote the film “The Starling so such a such a monster
family, patriarchal societ- Girl” during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah on Jan. 22, 2023. Associated Press that people wouldn’t look
ies, toxic relationships, pow- at themselves in the mirror
er dynamics, first loves and, tive statement about the commonalities too from to moment,” said Parmet. and question whether their
ultimately, growing up but church or fundamentalist feelings of sexual shame “You are with her every actions at all might parallel
it’s neither outwardly judg- communities. It’s actually to the need for validation step of the way. You feel his.” As Jem, Scanlen found
mental nor blunt. “The Star- trying to humanize the peo- from men. And, because her intoxication, you feel in their dynamic a power-
ling Girl,” currently playing ple who live in them.” it’s told from Jem’s point of this vivid opening up that ful truth about the possibil-
in New York and Los Ange- The story comes from Par- view, the journey is a bit of she’s experiencing while ity of both having agency
les and expanding to other met, who while in Oklaho- a rollercoaster for the audi- at the same time convey- in a relationship and also
cities this weekend, is done ma for another project got ence who may even find ing that this relationship is being a victim of abuse at
with a delicate touch. to know some woman in a themselves emotionally problematic.” Parmet drew the same time. The film also
“(Jem) is a very complex patriarchal Christian com- wrapped up in Jem and visual and tonal inspiration explores how patriarchal
character and I think quite munity. Owen’s romance, despite from Pawel Pawlikowski’s systems can be harmful for
different from other por- Though she grew up worlds knowing that it is funda- “My Summer of Love,” a film men too. Like Owen, Jem’s
trayals of young women apart, as a child of parents mentally wrong. that she finds lush, green, father (Jimmi Simpson) is
in communities like this,” who work in movies and “Something that I was trying immediate, intimate, stimu- struggling in the community
Scanlen said. “What makes television (a cinematog- to do with this film is have lating and dangerous. as an addict whose recov-
this film stand out is it’s not rapher and a costumer), the audience be with the A key part of making that ery is not being supported
making any kind of defini- she realized that they had main character moment dynamic work was finding in a helpful way. q

Willie Nelson’s 90th birthday concerts getting a theatrical release

By KRISTIN M. HALL concert film will include Behind My Songs,” coming
AP Entertainment Writer performances by Nelson, out on Oct. 31 through Wil-
NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) Keith Richards, Neil Young, liam Morrow.
— If you missed out on Willie George Strait, Miranda The Texas actor, activist
Nelson’s 90th birthday con- Lambert, Snoop Dogg and and songwriter penned hits
certs last month in Los An- many more. like “Crazy,” “Funny How
geles, you can see all the Nelson, who was also in- Times Slips Away” and “On
special performances hon- ducted into the Rock & Roll the Road Again” over his
oring the 12-time Grammy Hall of Fame this year, is seven-decade career, as
winner in a limited theatri- having a banner year as a well as co-founded Farm
cal run. nonagenarian. He was hon- Aid.
“Long Story Short: Willie ored with an educational Tickets for the concert film,
Nelson 90” will be shown in endowment at the Univer- presented by Blackbird
theaters on June 11, with sity of Texas’ LBJ School Presents, Joe Hand Promo-
Willie Nelson performs at the Producers & Engineers Wing 12th an encore presentation on of Public Affairs and will tions and Nelson’s manag-
Annual Grammy Week Celebration on Feb. 6, 2019, in Los June 13 and 14. Record- have a new book about his er Mark Rothbaum, go on
Angeles. ed at the Hollywood Bowl songwriting called “Energy sale today at willienelson-
Associated Press over two nights in April, the Follows Thought: The Stories 90experience.com.q