Mercedes (Emily Schweitz) is a vocal lesbian activist campaigning for gay marriage to be legalised so she can marry her girlfriend. Her over-zealous nature and one-track-minded approach to campaigning so leads to her being dumped so she drowns herself with alcohol in a local bar. There she meets socially awkward Molly (Kristina Valada-Viars) and the two share an unexpected one-night-stand; mostly unexpected as Molly’s actually straight. In the days after Molly becomes clingy with Mercedes and the two women find themselves at odds. When Mercedes realises that Molly’s father is an influential state senator opposed to gay marriage, she convinces Molly to pretend to be her fiancée so she can ruin his campaign.
Molly’s Girl is a topical movie with gay marriage constantly in the headlines. What begins as a comedy soon transforms into something altogether more serious with politics and human rights lying at the centre. Unlike many films of this nature the political issue the film is trying to make isn’t watered down and it’s clear that it is close to writer/director Scott Thompson’s heart.
There are some issues with the film though. The pace is a little uneven at points with the film struggling to decide if it wants to be a laugh-out-loud comedy or a serious political piece highlighting the fight to legalise gay marriage. The opening moments fall more into comedy but by the end nearly all the laughs are gone as the serious tone of the issue takes over. It would have been better if writer/director Scott Thompson had managed to find a finer balance.
Emily Schweitz and Kristina Valada-Viars are the reason that Molly’s Girl is so entertaining. Schweitz is perfect as the headstrong and focused Mercedes whilst Valada-Viars has a lot of fun as clingy Molly. The two actresses create a believable partnership onscreen and their interactions are often the best moments. Credibility is stretched with the way the story pans out but the two actresses are great so you don’t really mind. The supporting cast is solid too with Ellen Dolan standing out as Molly’s straight-talking mother Ginger.
Molly’s Girl is a sweet film with an important message. It may not hit a homerun making its point but there’s plenty to enjoy. The performances of the two leads are worth watching the film for and there’s a good message amongst the storyline. With a little fine tuning and more of a balance, Molly’s Girl could have been something even more. As it stands it’s an enjoyable romantic comdy-drama.
