_**Two sisters growing up in the Deep South in the late 50s**_

During the summer of ’57 in rural Louisiana a 14 year-old girl (Reese Witherspoon) and her older sister (Emily Warfield) maneuver through the challenges of family, boys, responsibilities and more. Sam Waterston and Tess Harper play the parents while Jason London appears as a new neighbor that attracts the attention of the younger sibling.

“The Man in the Moon” (1991) is a coming-of-age drama in the South in the mold of “Ode to Billy Joe” (1976), “The Great Santini” (1979), “My Girl” (1991), “Lawn Dogs” (1997) and “Simon Birch” (1998). It’s as good, or better, than the best of those. Reese was 14 at the time of shooting and this was her feature film debut.

The movie’s full of gems relating to relationships, spirituality, tragedies, forgiveness and growth. ’Nuff said.

The film runs 1 hour, 39 minutes, and was shot in the heart of Louisiana: Natchitoches (the Trant house), Kisatchie (the swimming hole), Robeline (church scene), Chousatta (dance scene) and Many (store scene).

GRADE: A-

I have been a big Reese fan for years now but had never heard of this movie until I found it while making a Reece list. I was stunned. What a phenomenal acting performance put in by such a young woman on her first movie. She was outstanding. Unfortunately, the story/script is the weak point of the movie. Besides the budding love affair between Dani and Court and the awkward tryst with Maureen joining the action, there is not much going on here. I thoroughly enjoyed the on-screen time the young couple shared. From the first scene at the watering hole where instead of being a shy nude 14 year old, she chews Court out telling him unless his name is Foster, he better be leaving. The usual cheese factor had to enter the movie. It seems to be required. When Dani leaves for her late night rendezvous at the pond to meet Court, the out of nowhere storm brews up and her mother's "spider sense" starts tingling and she has to run outside in the storm to find her overly independent daughter when she takes a bad fall and receives a concussion so we are forced to worry whether she will lose the baby. Somehow, the bump on the head led to instant toxemia. Medical miracle I say. One of the final scenes where Dani goes fishing with her old man and we finally get to see some of that daddy wisdom when he advises her that her sister is for life and probably needs her more than ever was actually done very nicely. Sam Waterston added a nice touch here in his pre-Law & Order days. I have to say this movie comes highly recommended. Try to look past the slightly thin story and just enjoy the rising star that was Reese Witherspoon.