Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael

15 years ago, Roxy Carmichael left town leaving behind her boyfriend and new baby. Now, she's coming home as a success story. Her former boyfriend Denton Webb (Jeff Daniels) is still not over her despite being married with kids. Dinky Bossetti (Winona Ryder) is adopted, bullied at school and a loner who keeps lots of animals at an abandoned boat. Dinky is convinced that she's the love child of Roxy and Denton. She's interested in class hunk Gerald Howells but he's reluctant to show affection for the class freak. Her only friend is the school counselor Elizabeth Zaks.

Winona Ryder is perfectly cast as this sensitive outsider teen. She is great at playing this type of character. The rest of the movie lacks humor. It tries to be a sharp black comedy but the writing isn't good enough. Director Jim Abrahams is more known for his spoof movies. He doesn't seem to have a solid hold on a sensitive serious coming-of-age movie. The tone is awkward. The attempted comedy slams into Denton's anger and his side of the story. The movie works with Ryder but struggles without her.

I had missed this movie years ago when it came out but now was able to view it on NBC's Peacock site, streaming. It is set and filmed mostly in the community of Clyde, Ohio, about 40 or so miles west of Cleveland and a few miles south of Sandusky Bay off Lake Erie.

The star is Winona Ryder, 17 during filming, as Dinky Bossetti. She is an outcast of sorts at school but in reality is one of the more normal, bright students. She knows she was adopted and doesn't seem to be totally accepted by her parents. They are considering sending her to a spacial school for difficult teenagers. When she learns more about the story of Roxy Carmichael who had a baby as a teenager then sent it to Cleveland for adoption right before she skipped town, Dinky begins to think Roxy is her real mother and intends to run off with her.

All this is sparked by news in town that after 15 years Roxy Carmichael is returning to Clyde and they plan to have a big celebration and dance in her honor. It doesn't really make sense for a community to be doing this for someone who ran away as a teenager but hey, it isn't my story.

Anyway I found this "coming of age" movie to be a bit better than its average rating would suggest. Ryder at her young age was already an accomplished and effective actress, playing Roxy as a suitably quirky character. Jeff Daniels is also very good.

This movie is much more about Dinky Bossetti (Winona Ryder) than Roxy Carmichael. It is about unjustified discrimination. It is generic discrimination; it is not a racial, sexual or any typical reason for discrimination. Dinky is different and for that reason alone she is discriminated against. In my opinion, the reason for that discrimination seems too vague. You will enjoy the story if you can identify with the discrimination. In my opinion however it does not explain well enough why she is different.

At the beginning of the movie, Roxy Carmichael is frustrated by her life and leaves her husband and child in the hopes of success. The movie builds up the Roxy Carmichael character so strong that we just have to see what she is really like when she returns.

Stunningly beautiful in places, surprisingly funny, often deeply touching. At just 19, Winona Ryder had already scored two massive hits with Beetlejuice and Heathers, but this performance eclipses them easily - and is possibly one of her best ever. She is hugely talented, and I can't get enough of her when she's on this kind of form - which sadly isn't often enough in recent years. Jeff Daniels' performance is spot-on, and together on screen these two stars shine brightly - not to take anything away from the superb supporting cast.

One of my all-time favourite movies, and one that still looks as fresh today as it did 16 years ago - testament to the people who made it. Quite under-stated, almost apologetic, but it will delight you. Someone else here described it as a 'hidden treasure' and I agree - it is hugely underrated and is a must-see for anyone who loves movies, Winona Ryder, Jeff Daniels, or has ever felt something was missing, confused or that they didn't belong. If I had to choose one movie to rescue from my burning house, this would certainly be the one.

Thomas Wilson Brown as Gerald Howells made this movie. This under used actor lent a sweet sentiment to a good movie that was having trouble finding it's way. Go ahead, watch it again. But, this time watch Thomas Wilson Brown. It becomes a whole different movie.