Chad Hartigan’s “This is Martin Bonner” is one of my
favorite Sundance films of the four years I’ve been covering this fest. If you
haven’t seen it, correct that error. It’s a subtle, moving examination of a
unique friendship with well-defined, resonant characters. Three years later,
Hartigan “graduates” from the Next program in which “Bonner” played (and won
the Audience Award) to the prestigious U.S. Dramatic Competition section with “Morris
From America,” a heartfelt, enjoyable coming-of-age story with elements that definitely
work but a lack of overall personality that can be frustrating. It’s worth seeing
for its genuine performances, including career-best work by Craig Robinson, but
Hartigan sometimes opts for surprisingly conventional beats, resulting in a
film that’s never less than likable but I wish was more distinctively
memorable.
African-American 13-year-old Morris (Markees Christmas)
lives in Heidelberg, Germany with his single father Curtis (Robinson), who
works there for a local soccer team. Morris takes lessons in the German
language from a supportive tutor named Inka (Carla Juri), but he’s relatively
isolated. It’s not just a cultural or racial divide—Morris is at that
awkward age when puberty and insecurity crash head-on. He’s emotionally
supported by a father who encourages him to be himself while teaching him about
the best of hip-hop music, but being a 13-year-old is tough enough when you’re
surrounded by people going through something similar to what you’re going
through culturally. Experiencing it in a place as distinctly different from
Morris’ NYC as Heidelberg adds whole new degrees of difficulty.
Morris’ bored but relatively content existence is forever
skewed when dad forces him to join a youth group at a local center. He’ll hang
out with kids his own age, play sports, put on a talent show, make friends—what could
go wrong? Of course, being so different from the German kids around him both
physically and culturally, Morris is both an instant curiosity and threat to
the teenagers around him who often see the world in black and white. The
moronic boys wonder why “Kobe” won’t play basketball with them, but Morris
brushes them off easily. He’s much more fascinated with Katrin (Lina Keller), a
15-year-old, tall blonde girl who knows she’s got a new project the minute she
catches Morris looking at her. And, to be fair, he’s kind of as interested in her for the way she stands out from the crowd as much as she is with him. Katrin flirts with Morris, inviting him to a
party, encouraging him to freestyle rap at a talent show, and basically
stringing him along as older high school girls who know they can sometimes do. There’s a fun bit of cultural give and take with Morris and
Katrin. She introduces him to EDM; he introduces her to Jay-Z. And Morris falls
deeper under the spell of an older girl, even though he has no idea what to do
in the world of romance. Meanwhile, Curtis senses that his son is at a turning
point and things are about to get tough.
There’s so much lovable honesty in the characters of Morris
and Curtis (and even Katrin in a very different way) that spending time with
them justifies “Morris From America” on its own terms. Robinson and Christmas have
a wonderfully-defined father and son dynamic from their very first scene, and
the movie occasionally springs to life with creative visual energy—such as in a
gorgeous dance sequence and a memorable shot of a Katrin at a party—but I wish
the movie itself reflected Morris’ emotional rollercoaster more in its style
and tone. “Morris From America” progresses on a relatively predictable
trajectory, which is surprising given the opportunities its concept seems to
provide for originality.
Of course, not every movie needs to break the mold. And
within “Morris From America”’s conventional structure there is truth. There are
characters we believe and like, people trying to adapt to a world that presents
unexpected hurdles to us all. Morris is encouraged by the three important
people in his life—Curtis, Inka, and Katrin—to ignore the misogynistic raps of
the professionals and write something truthful. At its best, “Morris From
America” feels like it does the same.
