Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Sidney Flanigan stars in NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS. (Photo: Focus Features)
The cryptic title for Never Rarely Sometimes Always comes from one of the most gut-wrenching sequences in recent cinematic memory.
A vulnerable teenager is asked multiple-choice questions by a Planned Parenthood counselor about the details of her recent sexual history. Almost the entire time, the camera remains fixated on Autumn (Sidney Flanigan), whose elusive answers and despondent gaze tell us plenty.
It’s one of many powerful moments in this vivid and unflinching character-driven drama tackling a vital issue that’s infrequently confronted with this degree of honesty or sincerity.
Autumn is a grocery clerk in her Pennsylvania town who initially dismisses her illness as “girl problems.” Her cousin and co-worker, Skylar (Talia Ryder), provides some blunt perspective: “Don’t you ever just wish you were a dude?”
When she visits a fertility clinic, she learns of her pregnancy, the details of which remain sketchy at first. Introverted by nature, she becomes more withdrawn while considering her options. She’s too ashamed to confide in her parents or classmates.
Despite economic obstacles, Autumn and Skylar take a train to New York, where Autumn hopes to her abortion procedure at a Manhattan facility — where chanting protesters are camped outside — will be quick and inexpensive. There are several complications, however, which turn their visit into a three-day odyssey filled with uncertainty and financial hardship. Their unspoken bond is bolstered by Autumn’s steadfast commitment to her choice.
The richly textured screenplay by director Eliza Hittman (Beach Rats) is socio-politically relevant without turning preachy or heavy-handed. The blue-collar film is neither strident nor judgmental as it generally sidesteps coming-of-age clichés.
Meanwhile, Flanigan’s astonishing debut yields an audacious and understated portrayal that should resonate with contemporary adolescents, with an intimacy that’s both unsettling and empowering for those who identify. She excels at nonverbally expressing emotion through body language and facial expressions. Ryder is another big-screen newcomer whose performance conveys unconditional support with heartfelt conviction.
In Never Rarely Sometimes Always, we care about the subtext because we care about Autumn’s plight, yet along the way, our sympathy never lapses into pity. The film’s protagonist and her circumstances are so ordinary, and that’s exactly the point.
Rated PG-13, 101 minutes.