She has been known to dispense them too freely, lavishing her charms on those who do not cherish them. The girl's spirits are decaying as she constantly seethes about her mother's inconstancy and her own rootlessness. Then the entire film takes a dramatic turn. But the calm waters turn rough, literally and figuratively. There they are, shivering on a deserted island, running from the Evil Ones and trying to survive in an isolated place where rescue is unlikely.
Every character changes.
The brooding, underachieving boyfriend becomes a provider and the voice of realism. The whiny, sullen, rebellious, sarcastic daughter, without discarding her patented pessimism, is found to be actually helping trap fish and collect firewood and reluctantly having real conversations. In the process of the erosion of her incessant bonhomie, her rock-solid character has a chance to shine. It's just that we never know when the day of deliverance will come, and when it does, if we will greet it with rejoicing for the redemption it brings or with the apprehension which honestly accompanies the unknown. Mr. Salfen is pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Dallas, Texas.