Sketch

Last night I saw the movie Sketch as part of another double feature, this time at the Megaplex, and I was very surprised by how much I loved it!  Taylor Wyatt (Tony Hale) is a recent widower who believes the best way for his children Jack (Kue Lawrence) and Amber (Bianca Belle) to move on from their mother's death is to remove all traces of her.  However, Amber begins acting out because she is suppressing her grief.  The school psychologist suggests that she channel all of her feelings into her drawings and she gives her a sketchbook which Amber uses to create terrifying monsters, some of whom specifically threaten a bully at school named Bowman (Kalon Cox) and her father after he disciplines her.  Meanwhile, Jack discovers a mysterious pond in the woods behind their house and, when Amber accidentally drops her sketchbook in the water, all of her drawings come to life.  The siblings must find a way to save Bowman, Taylor, and the rest of the town from Amber's monsters.  I loved the animation of the monsters because they accurately reflect the medium used to create them in the sketchbook (colored pencils, crayons, markers, and embellishments such as glitter and googly eyes) and the images look so cool.  I also really loved the way in which the children ultimately defeat the monsters because, without spoilers, it emphasizes the very powerful theme that one of the best ways to confront the bad is to remember the good (this is definitely one of the best explorations of grief that I have seen).  The performances are fantastic and I was especially impressed by how well Belle is able to portray Amber's simmering rage and Cox made me laugh out loud.  I also think Hale gives one of his very best performances as a father who thinks he doing what is best for his children but must learn to listen to what they really need.  I was really moved by this and I highly recommend it!

Note:  Every year I make the goal to see 100 new releases in the theater and I reached that milestone with this movie a month earlier than last year.