1 Is the Loneliest Number--Unless You Realize There Is More Than 1 in Your Life.

Kaleidoscope's latest is on Gotham Group's & Netflix's production of "All Together Now".  Directed by Brett Haley, the movie stars Auli'l Cavalho, Carol Burnett, Rhenzy Feliz, Justina Machado, Fred Armisen, & Judy Reyes.  Rated 'PG', it has a running time of 1 hr., 32 min.

Amber Appleton (Cravalho) is a senior at a high school in Portland, Oregon.  She is a musically & dramatically gifted student who has applied to Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh.  Amber's favorite class, of course, is her drama class & its club, led by Mr. Franks (Armisen).  She works part-time at a donut shop & volunteers on weekends at an assisted living home.  It is there that she visits with her favorite resident, the curmudgeonly Joan (Burnett).  While Joan seems annoyed with Amber whenever Amber visits, a surprise revelation occurs at the film's denouement that belies this.  Although her future seems bright because of her many activities, her personal life is far from secure.  Homeless, she & her mother Becky (Machado) live, without permission, in the school bus that Becky drives for the school district.  Amber's father has died; she & her mother lived with Becky's boyfriend until he hit Becky one day.  Additionally, Becky is an alcoholic.  Despite all of this drama, Becky has her eyes on the prize--applying to Carnegie and, hopefully, receiving an opportunity to audition.  Act I ends here as the transition introduces a major event.

Director Haley ("The Hero", "All the Bright Places", "Hearts Beat Loud") has an affinity for character driven movies,;all of which have led to his current film.  His direction is done in a sensitive manner, allowing the characters time to dialogue & interact with each other without seeming forced.  While some of the situations in the movie can appear contrived, the characters' interplay feels real.  He spends just the right amount of time with his subjects, especially the scones that concentrate on Amber & Ty (Felix).  While Ty is obviously enamored with Amber, she realistically does not comprehend that, particularly with everything that is occurring in her life.  Haley directs these scenes very well.  The screenplay (based on Matthew Quick's book "Sorta Like a Rock Star") by Quick, Haley, & Marc Basch definitely plays on one's heart strings.  While the dialogue & situations can veer towards exhibiting a maudlin tone, the acting helps steer the movie to a less overly sentimental mood.  However, the viewer will definitely need to have a box of tissues handy as the script repeatedly tugs at one's emotions.  The acting throughout is very good with 2 stars being standing out.  Cravalho is exceptional as Amber.  She convincingly creates an arc for her character from the film's beginning, through various highs & lows, to its satisfying ending.  She embodies Amber with intelligence, wit, caring, emotionality, & talent.  She is a rising star who demonstrated the above attributes at a very competent level in her short-lived television series "Rise" on NBC during the 2018 season.  Burnett, in her limited screen time, makes her presence felt throughout the movie.  Her grace, stature, & confidence are felt in every screen moment.  The film's production values are TV routine.  The only aspect that stands out somewhat is Keegan DeWitt's score.  Its themes underlie Amber's emotions effectively; at times, the score even propels the action with varying tonal qualities.

I give "All Together Now" (the title taken from the Beatles' song of the same name) 7 out of 10 nuggets; it is a fine film for people of all ages.  It nicely displays how the human spirit can prevail in spite of numerous obstacles placed before it.  If you have a Netflix subscription, check it out asap.  You might even want to sing along with the Beatles composition when you're through.

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