DVD Review: The Looking Glass

The Looking Glass is a tender and often moving film about an aging woman whose granddaughter comes to live with her in the country. It stars Dorothy Tristan as Karen, a woman who was once an actor but who now lives a relatively quiet life, and Grace Tarnow as Julie, her teenage granddaughter who comes to stay with her after the death of her mother.

Julie’s mother (Karen’s daughter) has died, and her father has remarried, with Julie none-too-fond of her new stepmother. And she shuts herself off a bit from her grandmother, preferring to spend her time on her computer. But after Karen hears Julie singing one day, she takes her to an audition for a local production, encouraging her to audition (so we get a montage of people auditioning). Julie leaves, but later reconsiders, and Karen takes her to an audition for another production, this one for a musical version of Alice In Wonderland. We get a second montage of people auditioning, which seems unnecessary (especially as we get variations of this scene in so many films), and this time Julie is part of it.

Julie gets the lead in the play. Things do seem a bit too easy at times in this film. Julie begins making friends, and even becomes interested in a boy. The movie has a relaxed, easy-going tone and atmosphere, at least for the most part (though certainly things take serious turns later). When Karen asks the director if she can sit in on rehearsals, Julie doesn’t object, which is a little unbelievable, as most teenagers would not be comfortable in that situation.

We do learn a bit more about the troubles that Julie had while living with her father and stepmother, when the two arrive to see Julie’s play. It seems we’re supposed to take an immediate disliking to Sybil (Julie’s stepmother) when she opines that people should not take babies on planes, but I completely agree with her. And I don’t quite believe the relationship with Julie’s father. It doesn’t seem like they really even know each other. I don’t quite buy him as her dad, which could be intentional, but which feels weird.

There are times when I felt the scenes should be longer. Like when Julie tells a friend about her mother, we are dropped into the middle of the scene, and I wonder what led her to this sudden emotional unburdening on her part. It feels like it comes out of nowhere. This movie is best when it allows its scenes to play out. For example, I love the scene with Julie and Terry (Karen’s neighbor, who had a history with Julie’s mother), when he talks about his past. It’s wonderful, because it feels so honest, and it reveals things in a subtle way. I also really like the scene where Karen gives Julie some acting tips. It’s a very sweet scene where Karen’s past meets Julie’s possible future.

The film really hinges on the performances by Dorothy Tristan and Grace Tarnow, who are in nearly every scene, and they both do great jobs. There are many tender moments between them, and you do become emotionally involved in their stories. Even early on, there is a wonderful moment when Karen says to Julie: “But now you’re here, and you’re her little girl, and we have each other, don’t we. Don’t we?” I love her delivery of the second “Don’t we,” for she really asks the question, showing a vulnerability that you might expect from the teenager but not necessarily from her. And so it really connects the two characters in our minds immediately.

By the way, we do see parts of the production of Alice In Wonderland, and it seems like an excellent production, certainly not the typical low-budget regional show you might expect. And the song “Teach Me To Sin” is a cool tune, with some great choreography.

Special Features

The DVD includes some special features. The Town That Made A Movie is an unfinished short documentary on this film, featuring interviews with Dorothy Tristan and John Hancock.  There are two deleted scenes, one with Karen and Terry, the other with Karen and Julie, in which Karen reveals she’s working on her memoir. There is also an extended scene of the Alice In Wonderland production, and that stuff is particularly good, including a delightful variation of musical chairs, only the very end of which is seen in the film.

The Looking Glass was directed by John Hancock, who also directed Let’s Scare Jessica To Death, Bang The Drum Slowly and California Dreaming (among others), and was released on DVD on January 12, 2016 through First Run Features.