By Lee Burbage
“Dear Lemon Lima” is an indie comedy that uses all of the successful aspects found in films like “Juno” and “Napoleon Dynamite.”
Not to say that the film was bad; the film is an adorable young love romantic comedy. It would seem that the writer and director, Suzi Yoonessi, decided to play it safe by sticking to all the great and memorable parts of those two films: for example, the infamous dance scene from Napoleon Dynamite. Only instead of hip-hop, the main character does a new interpretation of a Eskimo dance.
The film focuses on Vanessa Lemor (Savannah Wiltfong), a young girl who is in love with her once boyfriend Phillip (Shayne Topp). Vanessa starts at a new private high school as the benefactor of a scholarship for being part Eskimo, even though she openly admits that she identifies her race as white.
The school’s biggest event, and the focus of the movie, is the Winter Survival Games. Each of the games is designed to represent different tasks that Eskimos of that area would have to go through to survive. Lamor gathers a group of ragtag social rejects to win the games, and in the process finds out who she really is.
Hand drawn animations are interspersed through out the movie. I suppose this is to tie in with the low budget, indie feel. However, after “Napoleon Dynamite,” “Juno” and “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist,” it is a played-out method to pander to the audience. The film also brings out the overused theme of how you don’t have to conform to have friends. It doesn’t seem right to be able to take an idea, change one or two things about it and call it your own.
Honestly, as far as plots go, this one is remarkably dull. However, the way that some of the other characters deal with each other is what makes this movie enjoyable. Though each character is just in high school, the writer seems to try to make each of the characters act much older. Admittedly, it was amusing to watch actual high-school-aged kids think and talk like some 30 year olds, but you will have to decide if that is enough to make you go.
“Dear Lemon Lima” will play again at 9:30 a.m. Nov. 5 at the Lucas Theatre.
