The Growth Of The Coming Of Age Film; Days Of The Bagnold Summer

So, time for another Fi’s favourites. This time it's not going to be some art house marathon or some emotionally draining experience, but rather a film that I would describe as fun and incredibly sweet. Days of the Bagnold Summer (2019) is one of Simon Bird's few-but-growing directorial credits. Many know Bird from his roles in The Inbetweeners and Friday Night Dinner. Written by Lisa Ownes and stemming from the graphic novel by Joff Winterhart, this film tells the simple story of Daniel, a teenaged metal enthusiast, whose summer must be spent with his mam Sue, a local librarian, rather than with his dad in Florida as his dad is preparing with his new wife for the birth of his baby daughter.

Is there anything worse than being a teenager? No; well, maybe: being a teenager during the summer holidays for school. The freedom and relief are met with the angst of being left alone with yourself, without the distraction of school, as awful as it may be. I think most of us would agree that being a teenager is pretty shit. Now, we by no means lack in films about youth and teenage angst. I mean, look to the 80s and you’ll find plenty. However, current films about the subject seem to have become bogged down in heavy issues such as mental health issues, drinking, and drug use, which, while relevant and important, often come across as unrealistic. These films are often so extreme that they don’t reflect the realistic teenager experience that the majority live.

Days of The Bagnold Summer perfectly captures a period in your life where you retreat into yourself, where you are hyper-aware of your physical and mental self, a time when you often don’t know how to explain who you are or what’s going on in your life and, even if you could, you presume nobody would even understand. You might not know what or who you are, but you know what you're not. In fact, Daniel captures this mentality perfectly in just one line of dialogue. His relatives presume that he is a goth due to this clothing. Daniel corrects them by saying that he's not, but doesn’t know what to tell them he actually is.

Not only is the teenage perspective in this film more realistic than in other films of the same topic, but the parental viewpoint is too. In many teenage dramas, the parents are bumbling fools; absent or just totally oblivious to their teens' struggles or crises. Sue doesn’t really know what’s going on or how serious it is, but she keeps a watchful eye, like most mams. As most mams do, she has a quiet concern and while she gives her son physical space, her thoughts are not far from him. This is the realistic element missing from most teen coming of age films; most parents care, but they also know how it feels and many struggle to help their children navigate this difficult time, but they do their best and they try.

This film has many emotional moments that are so simple and realistic that they almost creep up on you, making their impact even greater. You both have and lack confidence in your teen years. When Daniel is put on the spot and forced to come out of his shell, a tender and unbelievably sweet moment is shared between mother and son as Sue’s (and the viewers') hearts go out to Daniel as they feel bad for the situation he is in, but she must encourage him knowing it will help him in the long run. This balancing act for parents and such difficult but important moments are what our teenage years are made up of.

What balances the serious issues present in this film are its lighthearted and genuinely funny moments. The dynamic between mother and son, their difficulty in understanding each other and how unreasonable each seems to the other make this film funny and delightful. Most mothers annoy their teenage sons and the narky attitudes of teenage sons drive a mother crazy. If many of us look back at our teen years, they often seem a lot more comical than they felt at the time.

Both characters are written wonderfully. They are realistic and likeable. The story and the characters are relatable and form aspects that we can recognise and empathise with. At first, I didn’t see this film as a coming of age tale, but now I see that it is. However, it is a coming of age for Daniel and Sue. Both find themselves in a difficult place and time in their lives. However, despite feeling like they are always at opposing ends, they are, in fact, on the same side, in the space place and they can make it through together.

For a simple film, it is also visually appealing and has an interesting composition. Films that are classed as light-hearted comedies can be lacking in some technical and artistic elements. When the director takes the time to pay extra attention to detail and decides to consider composition as Bird has, it can make a good film and - even better - a really wonderful and great film. The film is not totally reliant on dialogue. In the story, the emotion is also reflected in the shot and we can actually see the emotion and not just be told what it is. A beautifully composed soundtrack by Scottish duo Belle and Sebastian also accompanies the film. It is all of these little details that make this film the wonderful piece that it is.

Maybe you don’t fancy going back to your youth, but this really is the perfect film if you ever do. With both emotional nostalgia and great humour, it's the perfect film to bring you back. I include this in my Fi’s Favourites now as this film is available on the All4 Player. It will go in a few days, so it is worth checking it out while you can. I don’t think you'll regret it.