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‘Scrap’ Review: An Astute Tale of a Slipping-Down Life Amid Problematic Family Dynamics
Vivian Kerr’s involving directorial debut features the actor as a single mother trying to keep homelessness secret from concerned brother Anthony Rapp.
The well-acted, confidently crafted indie “ Scrap ” probes messy family dynamics with low-key but taut acuity, avoiding the usual poles of dysfunctional-clan comedy or high drama driven by yelling matches and shocking revelations. It takes a full hour before the truth comes out, when Ben accidentally discovers his sister’s actual employment status is “former.” But Kerr’s screenplay fills that time with interesting character details that illuminate a prickly sibling relationship without ever spelling things out too bluntly. “Scrap” has few stylistic flourishes, aside from a soundtracked spate of Tin Pan Alley songs from the 78 rpm era (apparently the dead parents’ favorites), and it soft-pedals the kind of confrontative Big Scenes such narratives usually lead toward.
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