About Me
A film by Maria Breaux
Maya's about to start high school. Surrounded by the typical 80s crowds--Goths, Punks, O.P. surfer guys--she's uncertain of her place in the pubescent cosmos. Her older brother Eric is no help, disappearing at night through his bedroom window to do who-knows-what. Maya certainly doesn't know but one evening decides to find out.
Following him into a club, the secret life of Eric is revealed:
Beatle boots and all manner of paisleys, stripes, and polka dots;
Loud, crazy 60s garage music;
Strobes, psychedelic lights, and smoke haze;
and in the middle of it all, Eric.
The year is 1965 within 1985.
Thrust into the middle of the "scene," what Maya ultimately discovers goes even deeper: Eric is lying to their father, Henry, about being enrolled in college, instead spending "tuition" on 1960s revival clubs, mod and psychedelic clothing, indie records, and his wanna-be musician boyfriend, Philip. Having lost his wife, Henry remains purposely oblivious to the life of his children. He occasionally and violently punishes Eric for his brashness, choosing the tenants he oversees as landlord as his family over his own children.
During the course of the school year, Maya discovers the track team and its captain, the mohawked, punk-rock Michelle. Michelles tough veneer is threatening to Maya and proves to be yet another hurdle to cross in conquering adolescence and familial loss.
Maya's best friend, Lucy, is wary of Michelle, although Maya is just as suspicious of Lucy's new interest, Craig the classroom bully. The tensions experienced while coming of age are exacerbated by the culture clashes of punk, garage, tough love, and budding teenage sexuality. The further lessons learned after the loss of a loved one--those shared between brother and sister--lead to a climactic confrontation with Henry, and unpredictable, distinct types of liberation for both siblings.
Featuring music by loud and vibrant cult bands from the underground garage and psychedelic scenes of mid-1980s Los Angeles, this movie breaks new ground in chronicling alternative siblings in a time of shifting identity, aspiring musicians, punks, drugs, and pageboy haircuts.
