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Tideland

Remember when movies were more than escapist junk food?
Starring: Jodelle Ferland, Janet McTeer, Brendan Fletcher
Rating: 10/10
Directed By: Terry Gilliam
Runtime: 122 minutes

I waited a long time to see this movie, primarily because of all the bad reviews. Case in point, I was at a film festival where Tideland was screened, and every one I talked to from the screening was disappointed if not down right indignant. And these days, I just haven't had time to watch stuff I'm pretty sure I won't like. But after two trusted friends told me I should see Tideland, I decided I had to give it a try.

I can honestly say that there are two types of people when it comes to Tideland, those who will love it and those who will hate it. And I can honestly see both sides of it. I can also say that I'd rather hang with people who love it . . . and now I'll try and explain why.


If you want to watch Tideland, you need to pay attention to Terry Gilliam's intro to the film. In this intro, he explains that to fully understand the film, you have to view it from the point of view of a child. That's not as easy as it sounds, but it's absolutely necessary. It's necessary because to watch this film as an adult, you're going to be horrified - an 8 year old little girl cooking her father's heroin, putting make-up on a corpse, almost french kissing a retarded adult male . . . all things that await your responsible adult mind. But if you'll step back and watch this as intended, you see the mind of a child making beauty out of horrific situations.

Is the world Gilliam puts young Jeliza-Rose in anywhere near normal? No. Improbable? Yes. Does that matter? Hell no! In most movies, you expect a film maker to maintain some sense of believability. But this isn't just any movie, this is art. It's not entertainment in the sense of mindless escapism, it's art that wants you think, it's art that demands you to feel something, step outside your secure little white bread world and examine the mind of a child that used to exist in your grown up mind. That's just too much work for most of the so-called normal people in the good old USA, it's radical, it's dangerous, it's ain't Deal Or No Deal.

So step back, find that child inside you, and watch this film. And if you think you can't find that child, just be willing to find it and give the film a try. You might not like it, but that's not the point. You might be surprised . . . and at the very least, I think you'll find that the effort is rewarding.