When I Find the Ocean (2006)

Introduction
"When I Find the Ocean" is a 2006 film written, directed, and produced by Tonya S. Holly. The film is an experience drama that follows the journey of an identified 12-year-old girl, Lily Strickland, in Alabama throughout the 1960s. As she escapes from her struggling family life towards the ocean she's never seen, the movie exposes intricate details about individual yearning, unfair societal norms, racial discrimination, and sustaining nerve.

Facility
Lily Strickland, played by Lily Matland Holly, lives in rural Alabama with her prideful and abusive granny, Edna, represented by Diane Ladd. Her widowed daddy, Thomas, played by Richard Tyson, is a far-off figure unable to withstand his overbearing mom. Lily imagine leaving her suppressing home and seeing the ocean, a desire inspired by the stories of her auntie Lily, from whom she acquired her name.

Plot
After her daddy brings home a racially diverse bride-to-be, played by Amy Redford, and her half-Black and half-Native American friend, played by Bernie Casey, it deepens the divide in the household characteristics. Annoyed by the rising stress and racial prejudice, Lily decides to embark on a journey to search for the ocean.

Accompanied by her pet raccoon and newfound buddy, a Black young boy named Abraham, played by Leonor Varela, Lily faces many experiences and difficulties that test her willpower and courage. The film incorporates the pivotal point of American history, consisting of the Civil Rights Movement and the Klu Klux Klan's horrendous activities.

Importance and Themes
The ocean in the film represents flexibility, redemption, and tranquility, which Lily yearns for in the middle of her unstable life. Throughout Lily's journey, Holly explores a range of concerns, such as abuse, bigotry, and the battle for equality, which highlight the social standards of the time. The story checks out hope, nerve, and decision through Lily's character and her audacious yearnings for a much better life far from prejudice and hatred.

Technical Aspects and Performances
The movie showcases the rural charm of Alabama and catches the era's ambiance well. The performances, especially by young Holly and Ladd, are impressive. Lily is presented as innocent yet brave, challenging the views of her circle and unjust rules of society. Ladd uses a strong portrayal of a conventional southern matriarch, dominated by her beliefs and prejudices.

Conclusion
"When I Find the Ocean" is a poignant look at a girl's mission to discover her own liberty in the middle of a racially tense and abusive environment. Through Lily's journey, the movie exposes her guts in the face of misfortune, her battle against racial discrimination, and her unwavering hope for a much better future. This, paired with outstanding performance and movie script, makes it an appealing watch. Although it's set in the 1960s, the film's themes of racial inequality, family battles, individuality, and liberty are still appropriate today, making it a movie of sustaining resonance.

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