Wish You Were Here

The National Society of Film Critics rightfully chose newcomer Emily Lloyd as the Best Actress (Drama) in 1987 for her outstanding portrayal of a tormented young woman in this disturbing film. Set in post-WWII Britain, the film follows the relationship between the adolescent Lynda (Lloyd) and her father. The latter is straitlaced; the former is decidedly not. Lynda greets strangers with "up your bum" in the same offhand tone that we might say "good morning". She has never come to terms with the death of her mother when Lynda was eleven, and that loss--and her accompanying desperate need for affection--have been transformed into an all-out attack on her father. She bad-mouths him, plays the coquette for strangers (and eventually sleeps with one of her father's friends), and finally runs away from home when she becomes pregnant. The storyline, not too fascinating in itself, comes alive in Lloyd's performance--which is at once bold, funny, and very painful. Too, although the story frequently descends into the sadly sordid, the filmmakers do not indulge in gratuity. The audience is made uncomfortable, but never insulted. Highly recommended.