All These Small Moments is an appropriately titled coming-of-age film from writer/director, Melissa B. Miller-Costanzo, who makes her debut here. It’s less concerned with clean cut arcs and meticulous plotting as much as it is in exploring the various characters as they navigate a difficult point in their lives for varying reasons. The structure is a bit on the loose side, but it allows for the characters to breathe.
Our central character is Howie Sheffield (Brendan Meyer), a teenager who is not only dealing with the usual high school awkwardness, but his home life is strained due to the his parents’ (both played by Molly Ringwald and Brian d’Arcy James) marriage falling apart before his eyes. At the same time, he also gets smitten by an older woman, Odessa (Jemima Kirke), who rides the same bus as him.
If you’ve seen a number of New York set family comedy-dramas, you won’t be too surprised by some of the plot turns and reveals and character dynamics that are explored here. However, Miller-Costanzo manages to carve out a story that manages to resonate because of the care and empathy that she brings to all these characters.
Howie may be the character whose eyes we largely experience the events through, we get the chance to glimpse into the lives of other characters such as Howie’s mother, Carla, his crush, Odessa, and a friendly classmate, Lindsay (Harley Quinn Smith). It’s in moments with them where the film really comes to life, expanding beyond the standard male led lens these films often are. Miller-Costanzo handles the characters with a lot of love and sensitivity in her writing. We are given the time to soak in these characters, and see who they are, why they are the way they are, and so on.
Building on that writing are the performances, which are solid across the board, but I was particularly impressed with Harley Quinn Smith, who brings an awkward charm in her early scenes, which evolve into something far more meaningful as the film goes along. I won’t give away where her character goes, but it’s interesting and manages to touch on timely themes in a way that doesn’t feel jarring or out-of-nowhere. Brendan Meyer is a compelling lead here, lacking both the machismo and obnoxious self-pity you’d seen in characters like his. He feels like a real teenager, as do many of his peers. And of course, Molly Ringwald and Brian d’Arcy James are stellar as a couple struggling to make things work.
The film has its share of heavy moments, but the filmmakers apply a light touch that keeps things funny and engaging without losing its emotional honesty. There’s sprinkles of humor that are all rooted in character, and it keeps them endearing and engaging. It’s a very assured film as well, confident in its writing, which brings me to my one complaint, which is the use of a closing narration that spells out the theme. It’s a bit tacky and obvious, easily the one major misstep in the film. But it’s ultimately one small thing.
There’s not a whole lot to say about All These Small Moments, which – in a way – seems oddly appropriate enough since the small moments in life never immediately seem like the kind of things that will shape you for years to come. The film is smartly able to tap into that lingering feeling, and shows how these various characters handle these sudden shifts in their lives, which they are not even remotely prepared for. The performances are great, the writing is sharp, warm, honest, and empathetic, and it makes for a really solid directorial debut from Melissa B. Miller-Costanzo.