Everything, Everything – Beyond Incredible. Great acting, direction and writing.
A 17-year-old girl named Madeline Whittier has a rare disease that causes her to have to stay indoors 24/7 with her filtered air. Her whole life is basically books, her mom, and Carla(her nurse). One day, a moving truck pulls in next door. There she sees Olly. Olly Bright is Maddy’s new neighbor. They get to know each other through emails. The more they get to know each other, the more they fall in love. Olly starts to make Maddy realize that she isn’t really living. This starts the adventures of Maddy’s new life. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Morgan B. comments, “I fell in love with this exquisite film in the first 5 minutes! I love how it follows the life of Maddy, a girl who has never left her house her entire life and her take on the world as she knows it.” Ella L. comments, “Everything, Everything is a beyond incredible movie that captivated me from start to finish. The acting is fantastic, it is directed well and the screenwriting is phenomenal.” Imani B. G. adds, “I have nothing but positive things to say about this affectionate and sensational picture. The film incorporates the use of strong chemistry with its talented actors to tell a story about understanding, acceptance, life and love.” See their full reviews below.
Everything, Everything
By Morgan B, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 12
I fell in love with this exquisite film in the first 5 minutes! I love how it follows the life of Maddy, a girl who has never left her house her entire life and her take on the world as she knows it. The romance, comedy, drama and mystery all come together and make a perfect film filled with a roller coaster ride of emotions. I found myself crying, laughing, falling in love and questioning things and the way I know them. I credit the director Stella Meghie and the writer of the book, Nicola Yoon, that this film is based on. The fact that a women director was given the reigns is a bonus.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to never leave your house or what it would be like to have a disease such as severe combined immunodeficiency – also known as “bubble baby disease”? With this disease, you are allergic to the whole world and you can’t go outside or be with anybody you don’t know very well because anything and everything can make you sick or kill you. This disease is the one that the protagonist, Maddy (Amandla Stenberg) has. Maddy is taken care of by Pauline (Anika Noni Rose), her mom and also a nurse named Carla (Ana De La Reguera).
Things change when she sees a very cute new boy, her new neighbor Nick Robinson (Olly Bright) through her window. They have an instant connection. The problem is that, because Maddy has this disease, they can’t meet, so the adventure begins between them and their bond grows stronger and stronger. I cannot give away the ending but it is a shocking surprise.
The acting is low key and believable. Teenagers do quirky things without thinking of the consequences. It is trial by error and Maddy and Olly take drastic measures to be together.
The scenes that stood out to me are when a crazy astronaut appears throughout the film. They are both symbolic and humorous. The cinematography of their island adventure is beautiful and perfect for a summer movie. I love how the wardrobe department added vibrant colors to the island scenes since most of their other outfits are pale, white and black.
I recommend this to ages 10 to 18 who will love all the romance, comedy, drama and mystery. On the other hand, they will also love the fantastic actors and the tiny bits of animation. Teenagers and kids who feel like they are trapped and need some help to find their way through life, this is the film for you to see in theaters. I give this terrific film 5 out of 5 astronauts floating in space. This romantic movie is in theaters now, so check it out in a theater near you. The book Everything Everything is available as well. It is on the best sellers list so check it out and read it. I know I will read it and can’t wait to get started.
Everything, Everything
By Ella L., KIDS FIRST! Film Critics, age 13
Everything, Everything is a beyond incredible movie that captivated me from start to finish. The acting is fantastic, it is directed well and the screenwriting is phenomenal. I laughed, I cried and I felt all sorts of emotions. The time I spent in the theatre was time well spent.
Everything, Everything is about an 8-year-old girl named Maddy (Amandla Stenberg) who suffers from SCID (severe combined immunodeficiency). This means she is allergic to pretty much everything and has to stay in her house for her whole life. Maddy can only really talk to her mom (Anika Noni Rose) and her nurse Carla (Ana de la Reguera). She manages to cope with this until she falls in love with Olly (Nick Robinson), the boy next-door, and everything changes.
Although this film is not comedic at all, there are several times when I laughed, such as the whole part with the Bundt cake. Olly’s character is very funny and the actor plays him well. Maddy and Olly’s romance feels genuine and, although it isn’t perfect, I felt very emotionally connected to their relationship.
One thing I noticed is that the film’s music is upbeat and happy. It makes the experience more magical and enjoyable. I also found the scenery breathtakingly beautiful. Maddy’s house is amazing as well as the Hawaiian landscape, from the forest of trees to the sandy beach. The scene transitions are smooth and well organized.
I love how the scenes are set up. For example, when Maddy and Olly are texting, instead of seeing the texts on Maddy’s phone, we see the characters talking face-to-face. I found the script to be very well written. Listening to Maddy’s innermost thoughts was captivating as was much of the dialogue between characters.
I rate this film 5 out of 5 stars because it is an incredible cinematic experience. I recommend it to ages 12 to 18 due to the mature themes and some suggestive content. This is an absolutely riveting film. No review can aptly describe the movie’s flawlessness and beauty. The only way to fully understand that is to go check it out for yourself when it comes out in theatres on May 19. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed!
Everything, Everything
By Imani Baptiste-Green, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 15
I have nothing but positive things to say about this affectionate and sensational picture. The film incorporates the use of strong chemistry with its talented actors to tell a story about understanding, acceptance, life and love. Everything, Everything is a dramatic, romantic film that the teenage and young adult audience will definitely enjoy.
Maddy (Amadla Stenberg) is an imaginative and creative 18-year-old girl who has an illness which prohibits her from going outside. A new boy, Olly (Nick Robinson) moves to town and the two instantly share feelings for one another. He won’t let anything keep them from being together. Maddy and Olly develop an online relationship which progresses throughout the film, leading to them risking everything to be together, even if that means losing everything. We join the two lovebirds on a romantic unforgettable adventure.
My favorite scene is when Maddy and Olly first meet. I can safely say that the audience and I were all screaming (silently of course) with joy and excitement when the two exchange smiles and when Olly constantly flirts with Maddy. The chemistry between the two actors is extremely well executed and seems so realistic. I also love the diverse cast because we need that in our society today. The director really respected and developed the interracial relationship very powerfully and wonderfully. I applaud the crew and cast for making the movie so enjoyable to watch and understand.
The theme is about acceptance and growing from the obstacles that you face. Maddy has stayed inside for the majority of her life, but when she meets Olly, she is finally able to take risks and enjoy what life has to offer step by step. Teens will definitely relate to the storyline in terms of growing and experiencing what life has to offer. Both Maddy and Olly send a message to not let people drag you down or stop doing what makes you happy and helps you become a better person.
I recommend this film to ages 13 to 18 because of its teenage love scenes. I also encourage parents to see this with their adolescents because they will definitely find themselves smiling and feeling happy throughout the whole film. I rate this film 5 out of 5 due to its impeccable cast and crew, intriguing storyline, vibrant colors, soothing music and much more. Everything, Everything is in theaters now so, please go and enjoy this movie as much as I did.