Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005) Review: A Highlight Reel Refresh

Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005)

EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED

U.S. Release Date June 17, 2005

Rotten Tomatoes 🍅 82%

Audience Score 🍿 84%

Official Synopsis

Lonely shoe salesman and newly single father Richard Swersey (John Hawkes) meets Christine Jesperson (Miranda July), a performance artist who moonlights as a cab driver for the elderly. As they navigate a clumsy, fledgling romance, the film weaves together the lives of their neighbors and Richard’s two young sons, Peter and Robby, as they all search for companionship and emotional connection in a modern world.

Production Dossier

Financials

Budget: $800,000

Box Office: $8.01 Million

Opening Weekend: $30,801

Technical Specs

Cinematography: Chuy Chávez

Editors: Andrew Dickler, Charles Ireland

Runtime: 91 Minutes

Cast & Crew

• Director/Writer: Miranda July
• Producer: Gina Kwon
• Starring: John Hawkes, Miranda July, Miles Thompson, Brandon Ratcliff, Carlie Westerman, Hector Elias

Primary Filming Locations

• Whitsett Avenue, Los Angeles: 5233 Whitsett Ave served as Christine’s apartment.
• Friar Street, Van Nuys: Locations for Sylvie’s house (14763 Friar St) and Richard’s apartment (14769 Friar St).
• Portland, Oregon References: Though filmed in LA, characters reference Portland landmarks like Laurelhurst and Burnside.

Fun Facts

• Personal Prop: The 1985 Honda Accord driven by Christine in the film was actually Miranda July’s own car, passed down to her from her grandmother.
• Museum Origins: The performance piece Christine submits to the museum was adapted from an actual art project by July that played in the Whitney Museum elevators in 2000.
• The Caméra d'Or: This debut feature won the prestigious Caméra d'Or at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival and was named the fifth best film of the 2000s by Roger Ebert.

Original Review (Dec 28, 2005)

One of the many amazing things about Miranda July's debut film is that there doesn't seem to be a tribute of vision.

The movie is uniquely her own.

One of the sad facts about modern American films is that while watching them, there always seems to be references, or tributes, or even straight rip offs of other movies. It's probably because of the success of filmmakers like Robert Rodriguez, Steven Soderbergh, and Kevin Smith.

The case is particularly true of Independent Film. Rather than trusting their own voices, filmmakers seem to be aiming to be the next Quentin Tarantino.

One finds out pretty quick while watching Me and You and Everyone you know that Miranda July doesn't give a shit what people think. She's telling a story, and telling it her way.

The movie is a quirky, stylish, and honest romance.

Notice that I didn't call it a Romantic comedy.

Sure the movie is funny, and does have the romantic comedy structure. But the movie doesn't seem too concerned about trying to make people laugh, or setting up jokes, or putting people in absurd situations. Under Miranda July's unique writing, and directing, the film is more interested in just observing the honesty of the characters. Almost like observing people in line at the grocery store. But what makes the experience unique, and theatrical is that the characters talk in a poetic simplicity, and sometimes..... to even their own surprise there is artistic poignancy, and weight to what they say and do.

It's not surprising that Miranda July is a performance artist. The film does have that sensibility, but it's not pretentious like most performance art. Instead it's heartwarming and likable.

At the heart of the movie is the story of Richard Swersey, played by Deadwood's John Hawkes, a divorced father of two, who's trying to put his life back together. At his job he runs into Christine Jesperson, a strugling, lonely, performance artist. Around these two people are other characters who share Christine and Richard's need to somehow connect in a world that's sterile, and seemingly heartless.

The movie is an enjoyable triumph. There are tons of scenes that I could describe, but I don't want to ruin it.

In lesser hands the movie could easily fall apart but Miranda July succeeds winningly, and is definitely a voice to look out for in the future. It's especially fortunate considering the lack of unique, interesting female writers, and directors in the business.

Don't let this movie slip by.

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