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As a director, Rob Reiner is responsible for a long and diverse list of movie-lovers’ favorites—ranging from outrageous comedies like This is Spinal Tap to chick flicks like When Harry Met Sally to period dramas like Stand By Me. But while you won’t find any outrageous rock stars in his latest film, you will find a good blend of the other two—because Flipped mixes the poorly-timed romance of When Harry Met Sally with the retro charm of Stand By Me.
Juli Baker (Madeline Carroll) and Bryce Loski (Callan McAuliffe) first met in 1957, when they were just eight years old. Bryce was the new kid in the neighborhood, and Juli was the over-eager little girl who lived across the street.
On that day, Juli falls in love with Bryce—or at least with his sparkling eyes and his gleaming smile. She just knows that they’ll eventually share their very first kiss. Bryce, on the other hand, wants nothing to do with the crazy girl who raises chickens and sits in trees and follows him everywhere he goes. He does everything he can to avoid her—but she just won’t leave him alone.
But then, in seventh grade, as Juli begins to realize that she might not like the person behind those sparkling eyes and gleaming smile, Bryce begins to realize that there might be something special about her after all.
With its sing-along retro soundtrack and its adorable young stars, Flipped is a sweet, innocent drama that you can enjoy with the whole family: your mom, your grandma, even your own kids. Viewers of all ages will be able to relate to both characters as they experience the highs and lows of young love—from the annoyance of an unwanted crush and the sting of unrequited love.
In a film like this one, though, casting makes all the difference. And Flipped was blessed with the perfect young stars—both of whom are lovable without being too cutesy. Madeline Carroll is so full of energy and enthusiasm as Juli that you can’t help but love her—despite the character’s eccentricities and delusions. She’s loyal and dependable, and she’s passionate about the people (and the things) she loves most.
Aussie teen Callan McAuliffe, meanwhile, faced a number of challenges in playing Bryce. Not only did he have to master an American accent, but he also had to make audiences fall in love with a rather cynical, superficial character. Still, he accomplishes both. He’s so adorable that you’ll understand why eight-year-old Juli fell head-over-heels for him. Any little girl would.
Of course, more cynical viewers might have a hard time digesting the sugary sweet story and the overwhelming wholesomeness of it all. But if you have a weakness for reruns of The Andy Griffith Show and Leave It to Beaver, you’ll enjoy the old-fashioned, down-to-Earth charm of Flipped.
Blu-ray Review:
For more Flipped fun, be sure to check out the special features found on the film’s Blu-ray release. In The Differences Between a Boy and a Girl, the film’s young stars talk about their experience—and their easy-going on-set friendship. Embarrassing Egg-scuses discusses the film’s feathered stars. And Flipped: Anatomy of a Near Kiss shows all of the awkwardness and giggling that went into getting the kids to almost lock lips.
The most entertaining feature, though, is How to Make the Perfect Volcano, in which Callan McAuliffe shows viewers how to make a baking soda volcano. It’s a surprisingly in-depth feature (probably much more than it needs to be), but Callan is such a card that it’s fun to watch—even if you couldn’t care less about baking soda volcanoes.
