Life can be hard, and there are many things that can interfere with our dreams. But that shouldn’t stop us from pursuing them anyway, which is the hopeful message that Netflix’s upcoming film All Together Now is hoping to leave us with. The film follows Amber Appleton, played by Auli’i Cravalho (Moana), a musically gifted high school student with big aspirations. To achieve her own dreams, Amber must balance school with her drama club, a job at a doughnut shop, her time volunteering at the local retirement community, and a difficult relationship with her single-parent mother to make it all work. In the process, she learns that she needs to rely on others to get through it all.
This is not really my kind of movie, but these sort of films have proven popular for Netflix as they appeal to their target demographic and so it will be interesting to see if All Together Now gains as much of a following as those previous Netflix films. Based on the below trailer, it has the potential to appeal to those in need of a feel-good, coming of age story:
This is one of those movies that plays very much to a particular age bracket and audience type, of which I am definitely not part of. The film no doubt has a strong story and looks well-executed, but is far too predictable and formulaic for my liking and doesn’t really bring anything new to the table to suggest it will stand out from the many movies trying to do the same thing.
All Together Now is based on the novel Sorta Like a Rock Star by Matthew Quick who is famous for having also written, The Silver Linings Playbook, which was adapted into an Oscar-winning film. The movie also stars Fred Armisen, Justina Machado, Rhenzy Feliz, Judy Reyes, Taylor Richardson, C.S. Lee, Anthony Jacques Jr., and Gerald Isaac Waters. The film is directed by Brett Haley, who also co-wrote the adapted screenplay along with Marx Basch and Matthew Quick himself. It is scheduled for release on Netflix later this month, August 28th.
Last Updated: August 11, 2020
