What was it about Fucking Amal that made it stand out

[Cheevers4ever]

Fo me what made it stand out that unlike many teenage films been released during that peroid was it had HEART.
I feel a bit like i'm degrading it by calling it a Teenage film cause its a lot more then that.

The two leads and supporting cast were of age (unlike Hollywood where the were all in their mid 20's or late 20's)
The characters acted like real teenagers they had their bad sides with their good.
Very realistic dialogue and a fresh view on teenagers.
Plus a reltionship with two girls was always going to stand out.

[Dahls]

I hate when it's called a "teenage film". I too was a about that age (couple of years younger) when FÅ was first released, and it was on everyone's tounge all over Scandinavia at that time. And, if I remember it correctly, I wasn't actually very impressed.

It took me more then a decade before rewatching it, when I, obviously, fell high over heels.

FÅ is with and about teenagers yes, but can and should be enjoyed just as much by people of all ages.

[katka]

I hate when it's called a "teenage film".

FÅ is with and about teenagers yes, but can and should be enjoyed just as much by people of all ages.

I have to agree with you Unfortunately I think that in that has big influence if you watched as young in the same time as film was on top. But if you watched at least like a child. Because today people (especially that older than twenty years) have have a distorted view of this film, but of any film what didn't know so far. If you watched as a child, make nice opinion cause of nostalgy position and therefore it is the quite subjective opinion. Unfortunately many of people argue me that film is boring...probably because they were not given pierce through an invisible veil of children's eyes, the mystery and beauty of this film.

[fish]

... the mystery and beauty of this film.

Being someone who is ever so slightly older than twenty, ( ), I can say that all you need is a sensitive soul to be swept away by Fucking Åmål.
I don't think it's age, I thinks it's just an ability to appreciate beauty in all its shapes and forms.

[Ian]

Having a brain probably helps too.

[katka]

having brain, having sensitive soul and emotion would be to nothing if you're old generation, disting, conservative man - old school with old opinion for some thing as is for example homosexuality. That people never change their opinion.

[Ian]

Well, to be fair, they're not ALL like that.

Apparently.

[katka]

not always true, of course. I'm not saying that everyone, but most of them do. Now, I do not know, but I guess it then applies to us, we are quite pessimistic here in Czech R., but on the other hand, how small a nation we are, we have more certainly open view of homosexuality than the Americans...

[ArcticMonkeys]

For me a few things made it stand out

1. The use of teen actors and not twenty somethings like it was in many teen films from Hollywood like American Pie and She's all that at the time. Really made it stand out to me

2. The fact that the lesbian couple didn't break up, kill themselves or one of them been turned straight by the hunk in the school. A lesbian couple got a happy ending.

3. Natural teen dialogue, got to give credit when credit is due to Moodysson for this. You actually felt like this was the kind of talk Teens did.

4. His two main characters were flawed human beings like most teens are and not super perfect like in Hollywood teen films. We feel for Agnes but she can be a bitch too, the way she dismissed her friend in the wheelchair (even though after this I understand why she tries to rat out Agnes, she was hurt).

5. Parents actually care for their children and worry about them and not made out to be uncaring and mean. Agnes father and mother actually care for what Agnes is going through, yes they mess up in the case of Agnes Mother but she cares for her. That's a nice touch I'm glad many who watched the film picked up on.

6. The Girls and guys ain't supermodels and look like average teenagers. Another touch that makes it stand out. They ain't dressed like they shopped at Calvin Kleins but in tracksuits.

7. That film is really of two halves with Agnes the main character for the first part and Elin the second half, it's a interesting story arc that in a film about teens. When I first seen it I thought it would be all set around Agnes but Moodysson really makes it a stand out when he changes the story around when Elin becomes are main character, then in the last ten minutes Elin and Agnes meet full circle. Without doing this Amal wouldn't have been the special film it is.

8. Even though it's premise is about two teen girls who fall in love but really is the film about that. I always saw it as a film of wanting to escape and be different even if someone is gay or straight. That's another reason why it stands out to me.

[fish]

A lot of excellent reasons there.



Must be about time I watched it again.

[ArcticMonkeys]

A lot of excellent reasons there.



Must be about time I watched it again.

Thanks Fish, I hate calling it a "Teen" film cause it's much more then that. It was such a breath of fresh air back in the late 90's cause it was so different to the rubbish stuff coming from Hollywood at the time .
Only in the last few years have America caught up with Kings of Summer, Juno and Way Way Down. Real life films about Teens that have dark comedy and bleak moments to them which is real life.

Go ahead Fish, it doesn't hurt

[Santi]

I believe that this image should be here.
Not in the post "Sad day in Åmål".

[Santi]

It Made many films, but there are only a few that stand out . Often nobody understands completely , especially if it simple or cheaply.

Thanks to this forum I understand many things. The same happens to me with other movies like this.

Even so, with every reason in the world I don't find my reason that I like to see it many times.
I guess it are the different's feelings that everyone has .

[fish]

Everyone's different.

Bex for example said she'd only seen Fucking Åmål the one time, and that was at the premiere.
She wasn't the kind of person to watch any film more than once.

Never mind Bex.
You don't know what you're missing.

But I guess you can remember how good it was.

[Ian]

Every few years is enough for me, for anything. It ruins things for me to see them too many times in close succession.