Newlyweds Peggy and Mark seem to have the ideal life, between Mark's successful job and Peggy's pregnancy, the couple are seemingly headed towards domestic bliss. Unfortunately tragedy strikes in the form of a miscarriage, sending the this typical Southern housewife in Peggy on a journey of spiritual discovery that quietly threatens to destroy not only her marriage with Mark, but many of her long-term relationships. Paul Harrill's Something, Anything is a meditative study of the importance in finding oneself, showing how society norms should never dictate ones own happiness. Peggy is a woman who bought into societies ideal of happiness, with the loss of her child leaving her with a lack of purpose. Paul Harrill's film uses this character to capture the importance of self-reflection, and finding one's own happiness, arguing that true happiness comes from inside and is never dictated by outside-influences or societal norms. Even before the miscarriage occurs, the film subtly suggests a small riff in the marriage of Mark and Peggy, with Mark being very career-focused and financially-driven, inattentive to Peggy's needs on an emotional intimacy level. Something, Anything is a deeply intimate experience but as the film unfolds it becomes a quietly seething commentary on the social norms of success, arguing against the materialistic and economically-fueled measurements our Capitalistic society uses to measure personal happiness. From Peggy's husband to her co-worker and friends, nearly every character outside of Peggy is fueled by materialism in one way or another. A great example of this over-arching theme takes place right after the tragedy, with both Peggy's husband and parents offering gifts and vacations to her, essentially trying to buy her way back to happiness. Obviously both the husband and parents have sweet intentions, but the film uses this to beautifully to demonstrate how much of our societies perceived happiness is dictated by monetary value. Paul Harrill's Something, Anything is a delicately assured feature debut, offering a poigant portrait of the importance of finding success and happiness within oneself.
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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