The Florida Project (2017)

Directed by: Sean Baker | 115 minutes | drama | Actors: Brooklynn Prince, Christopher Rivera, Aiden Malik, Grandma Stacy, Valeria Cotto, Edward Pagan, Bria Vinaite, Patti Wiley, Jasineia Ramos, Willem Dafoe, Rosa Medina Perez, Mela Murder, Krystal Nicole Watts, Sandy Kane, Jim R. Coleman

Rarely does an opening scene better indicate the theme of the film than in the case of ‘The Florida Project’. The film opens with six-year-old Moonee, who at first glance appears to be playing cutely with her friends. When they are pointed to fresh supplies at Futureland, you initially think of fresh ice creams at the local ice cream parlor or a new game in a game hall, because that suits such young children. But nothing is less true. They go to a nearby motel to spit under the cars of newly arrived renters. When confronted about this, a flood of “Bitch” and similar terms follows. The tone is clearly set: don’t expect sweet, stubborn children like in ‘Little Miss Sunshine’, but get ready for a much rawer variant.

‘The Florida Project’ tells the story of Moonee who lives with her mother Halley in an Orlando motel, almost literally in the shadow of all Disney parks. Moonee has summer vacation and uses that free time mainly for mischief, at least the less cute version of it. Her mother is caring for Moonee in her own way, but that way turns out to be less and less good as the story progresses. Finally, there is Bobby, the motel manager played by Willem Dafoe, who especially has a soft spot for the children and therefore also takes care of the parents.

By setting the story against the background of the ultimate dream factories of the Disney parks, the story gets an extra dimension. ‘The Florida Project’ focuses on the fringe of society that appears more poignant due to the constant proximity of a dream world. That dream world symbolizes “The American Dream”, something that will only remain a dream for people like Halley.

The film has little to no plot. At first glance there seems to be nothing that needs to be solved. This aimlessness in the story is the perfect metaphor for the situation of the protagonists. Their situation is not going to change, there is no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Life is not fun and unfair and the people in that life don’t seem to be able to change it. What director Sean Baker does well is to ensure that this powerlessness does not equate to victimization. Certainly in the case of Halley, it becomes clear that she will never be able to take responsibility for her actions. That becomes painfully clear after a prank by Scooty and Moonee. Where Scooty’s mother takes matters into her own hands, Halley seems especially unwilling to know about the situation, even though Moonee is partly to blame.

‘The Florida Project’ occasionally hurts and doesn’t serve you as a viewer any bite-sized chunks. In terms of style, the film sometimes resembles a documentary, which means that the viewer becomes even more involved in the story. The climax of the story is at once heartbreaking and completely logical. That ambivalence, which is so typical of the entire film, means that ‘The Florida Project’ will haunt the viewer’s mind for some time to come.