The slog of long-term illness can do weird things to people — not just those who are actually sick, but their loved ones, as well. Shannon Murphy’s “Babyteeth,” the story of a teenage girl with cancer, her family, and her newfound love interest, understands that. Murphy’s feature debut lovingly, but unflinchingly, explores the absurdity of tragedy, and in doing so, becomes a fresh spin on the classic coming-of-age narrative.
Written by Rita Kalnejais and based on her play of the same name, “Babyteeth” sees protagonist Milla (Eliza Scanlen, “Little Women”) facing a cancer relapse. She feels like shit, her parents are driving her crazy, she’s depressed and angry. The only thing keeping her going is Moses (Toby Wallace, “The Society”), the 23-year-old drug addict and dealer she meets on the subway platform. Moses gives Milla a new lease on life; with him, she’s happy, excited, and passionate. It almost doesn’t matter that her love isn’t entirely requited.
Her parents, understandably, are not on board for the whole Moses situation, but want Milla to have some joy in her life. Plus, they’re contending with their own issues. Anna (Essie Davis, “The Babadook”) is relying a little too much on pills to take the edge off; Henry (Ben Mendelsohn, “The Outsider”), a psychiatrist, is happy to give his wife said pills if it means keeping his family from imploding. Anna is a pianist who denies herself the pleasure of playing because, somehow, she’s convinced that total self-sacrifice is the only way to save Milla. Henry, meanwhile, indulges in a flirtation with a neighbor to distract himself from his pain.
Honestly, Milla is the one in the family who has it most together. She knows on some level Moses is not worth her time, yet she’s also the only person willing to see that he has layers. Milla’s pragmatic enough to realize that Moses might be her one chance at romance. He makes her feel something, so perhaps that will make their relationship — which the film only intermittently reminds us is completely inappropriate — worth it.
Being sick has made Milla wise beyond her years, but “Babyteeth” respects her character too much to turn her into the angelic, doomed archetype we’ve seen too many times before. As clear-eyed as Milla is about her health, she also acts like the impulsive, selfish, confused teen she is. She sneaks out, she drinks, she tries to piss of her parents, she experiments with clothes, wigs, and makeup — and you feel for her every step of the way.
Milla experiences highs and lows throughout “Babyteeth”: she gets better and worse, is on and off again with Moses, and her family atmosphere is at turns peaceful and tense. On balance, though, Milla’s tale is an uplifting one. She’s been dealt an awful hand, but won’t let it define her. As much as is possible, she’s reclaiming her life, and finding happiness wherever and however she can. Even when it means making self-destructive mistakes, that bravery is something to root for.
“Babyteeth” was one of just two titles directed by women selected for the main competition at last year’s Venice Film Festival. It hits theaters today, June 19, and is also available on VOD. You can find more screening info here.
