Protraph Lack of good storyline.

StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

PiraBit if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Jonah Abbott There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

A_Different_Drummer Yes, I am aware that some members gave this film a low rating. They were wrong. No disrespect. Wrong happens.1000 reasons why this "coming of age" vehicle should not have worked. Including the fact that it has been done before, hundreds of times, and this was yet another "Canadian" production (supported by the Canadian tax system) meant for the small screen and not really intended for an A-List rollout.But sometimes everything comes together and you end up with an exceptional result: * the script is superb. It is not enough that the daughter wants to accelerate her "coming of age" to rebel against her mother, she actually researches the topic and deconstructs it, creating a roadmap to maturity which of course is a roadmap to disaster. Clever! And innovative.* the acting is to die for. Eva Mendes may give the best performance of her life here. Cierra Ramirez steals every scene not otherwise nailed down and several that are. Arquette as the sympathetic school teacher sells it bigtime and makes us all wish we had a teacher like that in school.Really a great film, one that succeeds way beyond its aspirations. It is ironic that, for example, this reviewer took flak from members for ripping apart THE DUFF (a horrific A-List movie) but little gems like this often get lost in the shuffle.Highly recommended.

Desertman84 Girl in Progress is a film feature that stars Eva Mendes and Cierra Ramirez together with Matthew Modine and Patricia Arquette.It is about the coming-of-age into maturity of a young woman who is taught interestingly by her teen-age daughter.Patricia Riggen directs.Grace is an immature single mom who is consumed by her occupation to pay the bills and to provide for her daughter,Ansiedad as well as her affair with a married man in the person of Dr.Hartford.But when Ansiedad's English teacher, Ms. Armstrong introduces her students to classic coming-of-age stories, Ansiedad is inspired to skip adolescence and jump-start her life to rebel against her mother due to the lack of attention she receives from her. She enlists the help of her loyal friend, Tavita to plot her shortcut to become an adult immediately.She designs a flow chart to remind her to indulge in a wide range of bad behavior such as drinking, stealing, failing tests, losing her virginity in a one-night stand and cruelly taunting her best friend.Her ultimate goal becomes to run away from home and move to New York on her own.But later,Ms.Armstrong takes her to the Principal's Office wherein Grace meets her daughter.After an argument,we get to see Ansiedad once again goes back and act as a teen-ager once again and Grace decides to change for the better for her daughter's sake.Although the film has an interesting premise,it was definitely contrived and does go far away from clichés.Aside from that,it does not give us any reason to care for the characters from they are far from being heartwarming.It could have been a better film if it wasn't implausible and if the story has never been used over and over again.Added to that,we also get limited humor and it fails to elicit laughter from most of its comedic scenes.The only positives in the film is Mendes' likability as Grace and Ramirez's portrayal of Ansiedad.

phd_travel For those who remember Cher and Winona Ryder in Mermaids and liked it, this is an updated Hispanic irresponsible mother and cry for help daughter comedy. There are some laugh out loud moments. The drama and comedy don't blend that smoothly as hoped but overall it's a cute story.The performances are good. Eva is funny and touching. She is a great comedienne and very convincing in the more serious moments. It's nice to see her in a real latina role speaking Spanish. She is believable showing blue collar struggles - much more than Jennifer Lopez.Strange casting of Matthew Modine as the married cad who romances Eva's character. He is usually the good guy so it's a bit strange to see him in the role.Overall it isn't has polished as Mermaids but it's worth a watch.

gpknopp This is a well-scripted and sincerely acted family movie, devoid of profanity. I will leave it to other parents to decide whether it is effective, but in light of the trash that we are sold as cinema, here is a sweet movie that attempts to convey the difficulties that teenagers and parents face together - or apart. I registered with IMDb.com just so that I could provide a positive review for this movie. As I watch many movies, I take notice of those that do not try to shock, but tell a simple story well. Although the story of the main character is certainly contrived, as it serves as a vehicle for her situation to have relatability, the premise is believable, as many parents can attest to the fact that children grow up all too fast in our "culture", and that children will make mistakes. It may also help children to recognize the trials that their parents face in daily life. So, this is a very decent movie for parents and teenage children to watch together, and may serve as a tool to increase common understanding in families.