From the very first scene, The Florida Project (2017) is visually stunning and saturated in color. That shines through in promotional images, like the one above, and in the film’s trailer, which could lead you to believe it’s a feel-good movie. It’s not. Watch The Florida Project because you want to watch a good movie… not because you want to watch something happy.
Set in the Orlando area, The Florida Project is the story of Moonee and her mother, Halley. The pair live in The Magic Castle, a budget motel filled with people who are struggling to get by. Moonee and Halley are not particularly likable. While Moonee is mostly just mischievous, she has a mean streak; having learned from her mother’s example, she shouts, “Bitch!” at more than one adult she encounters. Halley clearly loves her daughter, but she also fails to supervise or discipline her. When the motel’s manager warns Halley about Moonee’s behavior, Halley turns to Moonee with a laugh, saying, “I’ve failed as a mother!”
Halley makes bad choices, but she also is stuck in poverty because of her circumstances. She tries to find ways to earn money but seems foiled at every turn. You want to shake her… and you want to help her out. Her story raises the question: How do you fix your life when your options are so limited?
Halley and Moonee are surrounded by a community full of people whose names end in an “ee” sound (seriously, it’s out of hand): Bobby, the hotel manager; Scooty, Dicky, and Jancey, Moonee’s friends; Halley’s friend, Ashley; and Jancey’s grandmother, Stacy. Despite the similar endings to their names, they’re a varied group. Each struggles to make the best of where they are… and some succeed better than others. Bobby (Willem Dafoe) was one of my favorite characters. He’s a mix of tough and tender — probably the sort of person someone in his shoes would need to be in order to successfully manage a motel that serves more as housing for people in poverty than as lodging for tourists.
The Florida Project is heart-breaking — I got a bit teary, though I confess I tear up easily — but it’s also beautiful and thought-provoking. The end is especially interesting — a bit of a jolt from the rest of the film but not, in my mind, in a bad way. Having finally seen it, I understand why people were upset the movie was largely neglected during Oscar season, receiving only one nomination (Williem Dafoe for Best Supporting Actor). You don’t want to watch it when you need something uplifting, but be sure to see it. The acting, the story, the cinematography — all are simply amazing.
The Florida Project is available for streaming or purchase on Amazon.