MORRIS FROM AMERICA Is an Awkward Cross-Cultural Coming of Age Film - Sundance Review
Morris From America is an adolescent coming of age story that centers around a 13-year-old African-American boy named Morris. Morris is going through that awkward puberty stage in life and is in the process of trying to figure out who he is. We've all gone through this stage of life in our own way, but Morris is definitely a unique individual who is faced with some unique challenges.
The thing about Morris is that as he's trying to navigate through life during a transitional period in Heidelberg, Germany, where his father works as a soccer coach. Morris is taking German lessons with a protective college student who encourages him to spend time at the local youth center so that he can make friends and practice his language skills.
This leads to some major complications. It's at this youth center that he starts crushing on a local girl, and he's looking to impress her any way that he can. It doesn't help that she's kind of a bad girl who pushes him to do things he's not comfortable doing. This is what sparks his journey of self-discovery.
There's very little diversity in the town that he lives in, and he is put in awkward situations in which he gets picked on and accused for things because of the color of his skin. It's hard watching him have to go through this stuff, and there are some cringe-worthy moments where you really feel for him. The film wonderfully captures the alienated and confused feelings that Morris is having throughout the story.
I think the core of the movie, though, is the relationship between Morris and his father. Morris' mom has passed away and his dad is doing the best he can to take care of Morris and raise him right. So his dad is faced with his own challenges as Morris is going through his personal issues that he's not comfortable talking with anyone about. Hell, at one point the kid has sex with a pillow.
The movie has a humorous hip-hop kind of flow to it. The tone of the film is set perfectly when his dad is trying to introduce him to the kind of hip-hop music that he grew up with. Morris isn't impressed, though. He has his own aspirations of being a hip-hop artist, and it's one of those things that grows within him throughout the story.
Morris is played by YouTube star Markees Christmas, who does a fantastic job carrying this film on his shoulders. That's not an easy thing to do for such a young kid. His dad is played by Craig Robinson, and this role shows us a different side of the actor who is mostly known for his comedy. Don't get me wrong, he is funny in the movie, but he also has some heartfelt and dramatic moments that I don't think we've really seen from him before.
The movie was written and directed by Chad Hartigan, and it turned out to be a charming cross-cultural kind of story, and the whole time you are rooting for Morris. I have no idea if this movie will be released in theaters, but it's sure to end up on Netflix at some point. When it does, make sure to check it out. I think many of you will enjoy it.
