Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005)

Director:

Miranda July

Writer (WGA):

Miranda July (written by)

Release Date:

19 August 2005 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

A lonely shoe salesman and an eccentric performance artist struggle to connect in this unique take on contemporary life.

Plot Keywords:

Shoe Salesman | Female Artist | Cell Phone | Neighbor | Classroom

Awards:

17 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

John Hawkes	...	Richard Swersey
Miranda July	...	Christine Jesperson
Miles Thompson	...	Peter Swersey
Brandon Ratcliff	...	Robby Swersey
Carlie Westerman	...	Sylvie
Hector Elias	...	Michael
Brad William Henke	...	Andrew
Natasha Slayton	...	Heather
Najarra Townsend	...	Rebecca
Tracy Wright	...	Nancy Herrington
JoNell Kennedy	...	Pam
Ellen Geer	...	Ellen
Colette Kilroy	...	Sylvie's Mom
James Kayten	...	Sylvie's Dad
Amy French	...	Museum Assistant

MPAA:

Rated R for disturbing sexual content involving children, and for language.

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | Singapore:NC-16 | Australia:R | Sweden:11 | Netherlands:MG6 | Iceland:16 | Portugal:M/16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Germany:6 | Italy:T | Argentina:13 | South Korea:15 | USA:R (certificate #41449) | New Zealand:R18 | UK:15 | Ireland:18

Filming Locations:

Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

IFC Films

Trivia:

Any time someone in the department store asks for a shoe, they request an 8 1/2.

Goofs:

Continuity: After Michael rolls down his window and tells the father and daughter in the car in the next lane that he and Christine will pull up in front of the car with the goldfish on the trunk to keep them driving steadily, the shot returns to inside Christine's car and Michael's window is rolled up.

Quotes:

Richard Swersey: You know some kids don't even have one home and now you get to have two. Think about that.

Movie Connections:

Featured in 2006 Independent Spirit Awards (2006) (TV)

Soundtrack:

A Stable Lamp Is Lighted

Passing time

Miranda July's "Me and You and Everyone we Know" was a surprise. It shows a new director with an inquisitive mind who doesn't get scared of tackling important issues. Ms. July shows a light touch to this story about the complex life of people trying to connect in this complex world we are living.

The center of the story focuses on Richard, a shoe salesman, who one sees at the beginning of the film in the process of separation from his black wife. He will keep the children, the teen age Peter, and the younger Robby. Little prepares him in the way his life will have to adjust with the new responsibilities. We don't get to see why the couple is splitting; they evidently fell out of love and she has decided to move on, while Richard is still trying to understand what happened to him.

The two boys are left to fend for themselves most of the time. As children will be children, they get involved in chatting on line. The exchange between Robby and his correspondent is hilarious. The young boy is way too wise for his young years. He is a city slicker and knows how to deal with the situation of the possible pedophile stalking him. At the end we get to realize who the person that has been chatting with him really is.

On a separate vignette we see Christine, a woman who does videos where she is the subject and the principal character. Christine also runs a car service for senior citizens in her area, but we mostly see her driving her old grandfather. Christine sees Richard at the store and she can't keep her eyes from him. Evidently it's love at first sight with the reluctant Richard.

One of the two other chapters in the film involves two aggressive and precocious teen age girls who go after one of Richard's co-workers who live in the neighborhood. And in the second we meet the lonely girl who loves to shop for the dowry that she will eventually have for when she gets married. She is a sad little girl who obviously lives in her own world without sharing anything with friends and neighbors.

The final film of the movie seems to be the key for understanding what is behind all what Ms. July has presented to us, so far. There is a man waiting at a bus stop tapping a coin against a side pole. Little Robbie who has had, almost what could have been a horrible experience, stands by this fellow and asks what is he doing. The answer: passing time, which seems to fit all the situations we have witnessed in the film.

The best thing of the movie is John Hawkes. He is a no nonsense actor that contributes enormously to the mood and all what we have seen in the film. Miranda July is also appealing as the lonely and quirky woman looking to fulfill her life with someone she can give her boundless energy and love. The two boys, Miles Thompson and Brandon Ratcliff are delightful to watch because they are normal kids and not the stereotypes one watches in main stream features.

Ms. July is a new voice to be reckoned with.