ReelBob: ‘Never Rarely Sometimes Always’ ★★★½

By Bob Bloom

Autumn, a 17-year-old high school girl in a small Pennsylvania town, finds herself pregnant.

The local women’s clinic cannot give her any help, so, along with her cousin, she takes a bus to New York City to obtain an abortion.

On the surface, that sums up “Never Rarely Sometimes Always.”

Yet, the movie, written and directed by Eliza Hittman, is so much more than its simple premise.

Hittman’s movie speaks volumes with what goes unsaid — who impregnated Autumn, her relationship with and within her family and Autumn’s feelings about what she wants to do and how she feels about herself and her decision.

It’s the small, atmospheric moments that draw you into “Never Rarely Sometimes Always.”

At a school talent show in which Autumn is performing, she is heckled; at a restaurant after the concert, her mother has to tell Autumn’s father to compliment his daughter; and at the grocery store where they work, Autumn and her cousin, Skylar, have their hands caressed by the unseen manager, who, through a small window, collects their money bags.

When Autumn goes to the local women’s clinic to learn what she already suspects — that she is pregnant — the workers there only offer adoption as an option.

Sidney Flanigan as Autumn delivers a very internal performance; she rarely expresses Autumn’s feelings. Her character has cloistered herself emotionally.

Flanigan portrays Autumn as taciturn and somewhat petulant.

Hittman lets you read a lot between the lines. Autumn never directly tells Skylar that she’s pregnant, but her cousin figures it out.

The two go online seeking options for Autumn and decide to travel to New York. They do not tell anyone; they simply sneak out and go early one morning.

As Skylar, Talia Ryder is a bit more worldly than Autumn. She also is unquestionably faithful and generous, giving her cousin the needed space to process what she wants to do.

Hittman vividly shows how the girls, especially Autumn, feels overwhelmed and almost lost in the big city.

And while Hittman portrays the city as impersonal and somewhat menacing, she also shines a spotlight on the helpfulness and compassion offered by the city’s clinics.

One disturbing facet added by Hittman is the revelation that the clinic in Autumn’s hometown lied to her about how far along she was in her pregnancy.

Autumn had been told she was about 10 weeks, while the New York facility tells her she is at 18 weeks, making her choice for an abortion more complicated.

“Never Rarely Sometimes Always” is a touching feature, and nowhere is that more evident than in the scene in which a counselor at the New York clinic asks Autumn a series of questions, which she has to simply answer by saying never, rarely, sometimes or always.

The counselor is soothing, empathetic, nonjudgmental, tender and reassuring.

“Never Rarely Sometimes Always,” which will be available on demand beginning on Friday, is a graceful and sensitive movie about giving young women a voice, allowing them to choose their own paths. It’s filled with wonderful moments and expertly captures the turmoil within that overwhelms many teenagers who cannot give voice to the emotions churning in their minds and hearts.

I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My reviews appear at ReelBob (reelbob.com) and Rottentomatoes (www.rottentomatoes.com). I also review Blu-rays and DVDs. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com or on Twitter @ReelBobBloom. Links to my reviews can be found on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS
3½ stars out of 4
PG-13, language, thematic elements