The film opens with Astrid as
an old woman opening her mail, receiving birthday wishes from children,
including a cassette on which a child asks her, “How can you write so well about being a child when you haven’t been one
for so long?” The movie then takes us back to her teen years, where she is
with her family in a church and not quite paying attention to the sermon.
Afterward, she asks her siblings, “Where
would you rather live, Sodom or Gomorrah?” And we immediately like her. Her
vibrant and perhaps unconventional personality is apparent from the beginning, when
she – being ignored by the boys at a local dance – asks the girl seated next to
her to dance, and then dances by herself with joyful abandon. And when her mother
allows her brother Gunnar to stay out an hour later because he’s a boy, Astrid
argues, “But you always say that we’re
all equal before God.”
Astrid works on her family
farm, but when her father mentions that the editor of the local paper is
looking for an assistant, Astrid jumps at the opportunity. One thing I love
about these early scenes is seeing how supportive the family is, and also how
they are able to take joy in their work (in the potato scene, for example),
scenes which allow for a greater contrast and heartbreak later. There is joy
and excitement as Astrid begins her work at the paper, getting her first
writing assignment to cover the new train. But she also finds herself learning
about more adult aspects of life, and soon is becoming an adult herself, her
childhood suddenly at an end when she herself is with child. Her second ride on
a train is not as pleasant for her as her first, going away until she has the
baby. The scene where her mother finds out she is pregnant is heart-wrenching,
and Astrid is suddenly so quiet and meek, a devastating change for her.
As I mentioned, Alba August gives
an outstanding performance. From the beginning, she is adorable, with a
delightful innocence, a sense of a play, and a big heart. But it is when her
character is faced with tougher aspects of existence that she really
shines. And that is not to say that the rest of the cast is lacking in any way.
The entire cast is excellent, but August in particular delivers a memorable and
effective performance. Becoming Astrid is a sweet and beautiful film that might
inspire you to write or do something else meaningful and wonderful with your
life. I don’t mind admitting that this movie had me in tears at times. By the
way, occasionally, throughout the film, we get voice over work from children
writing to Astrid about her books, and we see the connection between Astrid’s
life and what the children find noteworthy about her work. That’s a really nice
touch, particularly for those of us who grew up reading and hearing her
stories.
DVD Special Features
The DVD contains some bonus
material. Learning From Astrid is a short
featurette with Alba August and Pernille Fischer Christensen. Pernille talks
about the origin of the idea for this film, and Alba speaks about who Astrid
was as a person, and the impact her fictional characters had on her childhood. The
interviews are in English. The special features also include footage from the
press conference at the Berlinale film premiere, with Pernille Fischer
Christensen, Alba August, Henrik Rafaelsen and other key cast and crew members.
They talk about the preparation and research for this film, about the casting,
and about the effect Astrid Lindgren’s work has had on them. Pernille is asked
about the letters that are read throughout the film. This is approximately
twenty minutes, and is also in English. A photo gallery and the film’s trailer
are also included.
Becoming Astrid was directed by Pernille Fischer Christensen, and was released on DVD on March 19, 2019 through Music
Box Films. The film is presented in its original Swedish, with optional English
subtitles.
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