If you are a ’90s nostalgia junkie like myself, you’ll love the setting. The year is 1999. People are preparing for Y2K. The World Trade Center is still two towers. It was the last great year before everything changed. And it’s the last year before the explosion of the internet, making it the only time the plot of this movie could work.
12-year-old Beverly Moody (Gemma Brooke Allen) resides in Spokane, WA with her grandmother. Beverly’s parents were killed in a car accident when she was an infant. As she approaches adolescence, Beverly is pining for information about her parents. She discovers a mix tape that her father made for her mother when they were dating. The music loving Beverly embarks on a quest to discover each random song from the list and why it meant so much to her parents.
Gemma Brooke Allen is perfection in the lead role. You won’t roll your eyes a single time as is often the case when watching a child actor. Allen delivers the heartfelt moments and the comedy in equal doses. We understand the emotions of this kid. She’s pestered by bullies at school. Beverly never knew her parents. She has no outlet for her frustrations. Beverly befriends two other misfits, played by Audrey Hsieh and Olga Petsa. The three young actors play well off each other. Their character growth as friends makes for the best parts of the film.
I’ve been a Julie Bowen fan since the TV show “Lost.” That she plays the grandmother here must be a sign that I’m getting old. Bowen delivers a great performance as usual, playing quite well off the younger cast.
Though not the focal point of the story, we get great depth from this character too. She works hard for her granddaughter. She had a strained relationship with Beverly’s mother, but obviously loved her only child.
Nick Thune completes the cast as a cantankerous and 1999 Hipster who runs the local record store. As you can guess, music plays a large part in the story. A blend of popular hits and rare gems completes the soundtrack.
“Mixtape” is an excellent film. Because of the Y2K element, think of it as a New Year’s movie. Or one you can watch any time you feel like smiling.
