Cast: Adrian Grenier, Clark Gregg, Aleksa Palladino, Margaret Colin, John Shea, Marni Lustig, Gabriel Macht
Director: Tod Williams
Producers: Karen Barber, Jasmine Kosovic
Screenplay: Tod Williams
Cinematography: John Foster
Music: Lynn Geller, Elizabeth Swados
U.S. Distributor: Paramount Classics
For his debut feature film, writer/director Tod Williams has delved into a familiar genre: the coming-of-age tale. However, The Adventures of Sebastian Cole, which premiered in competition during the 1999 Sundance Film Festival, is a little more on the fringe than the bulk of its cinematic kin. Instead of offering the common delinquency/redemption cycle encompassed by most coming-of-age movies, The Adventures of Sebastian Cole offers a fragmented slice of life with minimal closure. The protagonist does not sink to the depths reached by many central figures in films like this nor does he ever set his feet on the path to leading a productive life. The Adventures of Sebastian Cole isn't about telling a complete story; it's about giving the audience an opportunity to spend 90 minutes observing an interesting character during a critical period of his life.
Most of the movie is presented flashback style - an approach that serves no purpose other than to titillate us with an intriguing opening scene. A teenager, Sebastian Cole (Adrian Grenier), is shown stumbling across an arid wasteland (Texas? Arizona? New Mexico? California?). His gait is unsteady and his face and clothing are covered with blood. A young woman living in the middle of nowhere discovers him and cleans his wounds. When she asks him where his family is, he pulls a photograph out of his wallet, and, after gazing at it for a few seconds, begins remembering.
It's June 1983 in Dutchess County, New York. The Cole family, which consists of 16-year old Sebastian, his older sister, Jessica (Marni Lustig); his mother, Joan (Margaret Colin); and his stepfather; Hank (Clark Gregg), is a relatively normal, stable unit until Hank makes a startling pronouncement - he's going to undergo a sex-change operation. Shortly thereafter, Sebastian in on his way to London with his mother, who has decided that life in a lesbian relationship isn't for her. But Sebastian doesn't fare well in England, and, in time for the next school year, he is back in New York, living with Hank (who now goes by the name of Henrietta). The bulk of the film details how Sebastian's confused relationship with Hank/Henrietta impacts every aspect of his life, including his ability to function in school and the way he treats his girlfriend, Mary (Aleska Palladino).
The Adventures of Sebastian Cole has a pleasant tone that's neither too melodramatic or confrontational nor too light. Williams' style is a little choppy - the movie has a tendency to jump erratically from scene to scene. There are moments of humor (including a hilarious karate demo where all the moves are based on Bruce Lee movies), but, for the most part, this is a serious motion picture. It deals with many of the common traumas encountered during the teenage years - alienation from the family, the need to rebel, the difficulties of love and sex, and the confusion of planning for the future - as well as at least one unusual one - relating to a parent undergoing a gender identity crisis.
The relationship between Hank/Henrietta and Sebastian is well realized and poignantly real. Although the former character is underdeveloped as a stand-alone figure (we never learn much about the factors that drive him to need the operation), his interaction with his step-son is effectively presented. The same is true of many of the other individuals - they are carefully developed when they enter Sebastian's orbit, but sketchy and incomplete outside of it. This approach serves to make Sebastian the most rounded character in the film. It's not difficult to understand what motivates his disruptive and occasionally self-destructive actions. Essentially, the movie does what one would expect from something titled The Adventures of Sebastian Cole.
Newcomer Adrian Grenier gives a more polished performance than what is typical from a neophyte in his first major role. His interpretation of Sebastian is credible; he shows charm and wit while effectively capturing the character's melancholy lows and bittersweet highs. Scene-stealing Clark Gregg, who has had bit parts in prominent films like The Usual Suspects and The Spanish Prisoner, offers a top-notch presentation of a masculine guy attempting to get in touch with his feminine side in a permanent way. The strength of Gregg's work almost makes us forget how odd it is to see such a burly man dressed in drag. Supporting cast member Aleska Palladino (Lo in Manny & Lo) is appealing as Mary. Both Margaret Colin (who gets first billing) and John Shea are underexposed as Sebastian's mother and biological father. (Colin's artificial British accent is irritating.)
The Adventures of Sebastian Cole lives up to its billing as an offbeat tale of adolescence - a small picture about one boy who wants to "live a lot and have adventures." The film is less sentimental than many coming-of-age tales (including its theatrical contemporary, Outside Providence, which has similar rhythms), and I appreciated the way it was willing to leave secondary plot strands unresolved. However, despite its stylistic and storyline quirks, The Adventures of Sebastian Cole ultimately fits safely within the bounds of its genre, rather than redefining them. Those who enjoy this kind of movie may find it to be a little daring, but not challenging enough to endanger its status as safe entertainment. That's not intended as a criticism; I enjoyed spending some time back in the 1980s with Sebastian Cole.
© 1999 James Berardinelli