Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

In case you are not aware, this film was slammed down really hard by the professional critics in general, earning something like %16 on rotten tomatoes (that's a really, really poor rating). The reason behind this immediate outrage against the film is quite obvious: we live in a society that is overly paranoid about childhood sexuality - the most taboo of all topics. This film isn't the least bit afraid to portray a 12 year old girl who is blooming sexually and exploring the power and creativity of (as well as learning the horrible dangers of) her sexuality. The fact that said girl is America's beloved, sweet Dakota Fanning only made the pill all the more bitter for the critics to swallow. If you ask me, Fanning's character is amazingly realistic. Wake-up-call to the world: girls don't suddenly become sexual at 18! Of course a 12 year old can be curious, of course a 12 year old can be sexy. The fact that Dakota is walking around in her panties throughout most the film is realistic too, at least it would have been during that era in the poverty-stricken deep south, as are many other details in this movie, like the way the adults don't take issue with a 12-year-old taking a sip of beer or puffing a cig. And moreover, if you see a girl playing in her panties and it bothers you so much, I think it says more about your own sexual issues than the movie's. The movie has a beautiful message about art through suffering. But it also has many other themes, among them childhood innocence and gender roles. I think even the harshest critic will agree that Dakota does an amazing job (she really just might be the greatest child actor of all time). Above all I enjoyed the film's beautiful cinematography & color palate - calm blues and soft browns and dusty yellows throughout. The night scenes with the fireflies are especially magical.