Destin Cretton’s Short Term 12 is remarkable not only for its detailed, sharply observed portrait of life at a foster care facility for at-risk teenagers, but for its ability to approach these kids and their stories not with fear or apprehension, but with only the deepest empathy and the sincerest desire to understand. In that way, the film falls in line with its extraordinary main character, Grace – brought to life by Brie Larson in what is surely one of 2013’s single greatest performances – the lead facility supervisor who is introduced as someone overwhelmingly competent at and perfect for her job. As the film goes along, constantly deepening and enriching its characters and storytelling, we come to realize that Grace is every bit as damaged and tortured as the teenagers she cares for, and more importantly, we are made to understand that this is absolutely all right. Exemplified by each of the troubled teens Grace works with, and especially by Grace herself, the film argues that no matter where a person comes from or what pain they carry in their hearts, people are worth investing in, and always have the capacity to rise above circumstance.
Examining the ways in which non-biological families are constructed, and how love and acceptance exist separate from blood or social borders, the film is a blindingly beautiful celebration of humanity’s capacity for empathy, and how a desire to understand and an ability to reach out towards others is perhaps the greatest asset a person can have. In the midst of its own unflinching darkness, Short Term 12 finds a powerful source of light, and in a world that can feel increasingly bleak and unforgiving with each passing day, where optimism and humanistic belief are increasingly hard to hold on to, that makes Short Term 12 far more than just a great film – in truth, it may be a miracle.
Short Term 12 is not currently playing in theatres, but will arrive on DVD and Blu-Ray January 14th.
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