Wish You Were Here (1987)

**_Emily Lloyd coming-of-age in early 50’s Britain_** A precocious teen in a seaside town of southern England becomes aware of her power over males while flouting conventions, which doesn’t help her relationship with her rigid father (Geoffrey Hutchings) and keeps getting her in trouble, which she finds amusing. "Wish You Were Here" (1987) is a period piece and coming-of-age flick. It’s been listed as a comedy, but it’s not. It’s a drama with humorous touches counterbalanced by the hard facts of life. The meshing of lighthearted bits with sober elements is interesting and true-to-life. Emily was only 16 years-old during shooting while one of the guys she is drawn to, Tom Bell (Eric), was 53. It’s no surprise that she’s drawn to someone her dad’s age because she’s desperately seeking a father’s love, despite her outward spunk. I don’t take the movie as supporting any particular issue, but rather as a character study of a certain type of person, in this case a female. It’s also a commentary on society’s curious mores at that particular time and place. What’s an individualistic person to do, especially when s/he sees glaring hypocrisies and injustices? Don’t despise the girl for the questionable things she does. Remember, she’s only like 16-17. We’ve all done rash, foolish or disrespectful things in our teens. Then we grew up. I’m pretty sure that Lynda will be growing up real quick by the end of the film. The title seems odd and probably kept it from greater success. It refers to the protagonist missing her mother, who died when she was 11. She was close to her mom, but obviously not her dad. It runs 1 hour, 28 minutes, and was shot in Worthing and nearby Bognor Regis (to the west), which are about an 85-minute drive due south of London. GRADE: B-