A pair of teenage girls in rural Pennsylvania travel to New York City to seek out medical help after an unintended pregnancy.
17-year-old Autumn (Sidney Flanigan) is out of her wits when she finds herself pregnant. She lives in a rural, small town in Pennsylvania and must travel to New York in order to get the abortion that she wants.
This film is more of a day-in-the-life type of story than a coming-of-age tale that is usual with teenage protagonists. And it may be because I can relate to the story as a woman, but I was invested in Autumn from the moment she appeared on screen. I was a lot like Autumn as a teen – reserved, independent, and not one to share my problems. She feels like a real person more than a character, and that was something I really appreciated and responded to.
Solidarity is immediately apparent in the relationship between the two leads. Autumn’s cousin, Skylar (Talia Ryder) is the perfect companion and offers the support Autumn needs. She never judges her or questions her decision. She is there for her every step of the way. They aren’t actually shown talking to each other much, but you can tell that her presence there means a lot to Autumn, though she sometimes takes it for granted.
The film shows the difficulties of getting an abortion, and like Autumn, I live in an abortion restrictive state, so I didn’t realize how many hoops you must jump through in order to get one. The arduous journey was eye-opening for me. In what should be a simple road trip, is not exactly so simple. The two teens must navigate not only getting to New York but New York itself without much money or a place to stay with little to no help.
This is Eliza Hittman’s third feature, but the film serves as my introduction to her as a director. And I cannot wait to see what she does next. She handles this story with so much care. Abortion is a touchy issue, but the film is never preachy. It doesn’t try to justify getting one or convince naysayers to change their minds about the issue. It just follows Autumn in this type of situation and accepts her decisions.
There’s one particular scene where Autumn must respond with one of the four titular words, “Never,” “Rarely,” “Sometimes”, or “Always” that is so powerful and resonant. That scene has still stuck with me since my viewing of the film and is an emotional gut punch. With sexual misconduct being so common that most women experience it some time in their lives, it highlights the importance of healthcare organizations like Planned Parenthood, who give women the healthcare resources that they need.
Another thing this film did well was tear apart the “nice guy” trope. The only male supportive role in this film is Jasper (Théodore Pellerin), who is on their bus to New York and chats up both girls. He’s interested in Skylar in particular, but it’s clear that she doesn’t want his attention. He keeps annoying her to hang out with him and both girls are eventually put in a situation where they need to do exactly that to get by in New York.
Overall, “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” is a realistic and poignant film that pulls at your heartstrings. The film is boasted with performances from Flanigan and Ryder, they make both Autumn and Skylar feel like real people rather than fictional characters. It is the best film I’ve seen thus far in 2020, so if you get the opportunity to see it, please give it the support it deserves.
Available on Digital and VOD Friday, April 3rd
