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Movie teenagers tend to live messy lives, filled with chaos and confusion. But grownups don’t always have the answers, either. And in Gringa, a troubled teenage girl sets out to find her father, only to find that he’s just as troubled as she is.
Gringa stars Jess Gabor as Marge Bickford, a lonely teenager who doesn’t seem to fit in anywhere. She moves from vacant home to vacant home with her realtor mom (Judy Greer), and the constant abuse from her soccer coach and teammates has left her with an eating disorder. When her mom is killed in a car accident, Marge has no interest in moving to Scottsdale with the grandparents she hardly knows. Instead, she runs away to Mexico to find her estranged dad, former soccer star Jackson (Steve Zahn), whose life is every bit as messy as hers.
Jackson doesn’t turn out to be the dad that Marge expects. He’s not really the cool, attentive dad who’s eager to show his daughter around town. And he’s definitely not the stable, responsible dad who can point her life in the right direction. Instead, he’s an absolute mess of a man who spends his days surfing and drinking (and not necessarily in that order). He’ll freely admit that he lost his soccer career and his family to his drinking—which just makes him drink even more. He’s a lovable drunk—but one who’s barely getting by. And seeing the mess that his life has become makes Marge want to fix her own life and her dad’s.
Marge’s story of self-discovery is an enjoyable one. Thanks to her outgoing dad, she starts to let her guard down. She ends up playing soccer again—and eventually making some new friends in the process. She meets a boy who helps her learn to surf. She works on creating a healthy relationship with food. And she realizes that she doesn’t always have to be the outsider. Throughout her transformation (and her dad’s), there are ups and downs, setbacks and conflicts. There’s plenty of teenage drama. And there’s a fair amount of soccer action, too. The pieces don’t all come together perfectly neatly in the end—and it does go off the rails as it makes it way to its conclusion—but it’s still a charming film about getting your life together, no matter how long it takes.
Together, these two lovably messy characters tell a sweet story about finding your family…and yourself. At times, it’s as messy as its characters’ lives, but it’s also light and entertaining—and just a little inspiring, too.
You can find Gringa in select theaters and on demand starting on April 21, 2023.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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