Dear Lemon Lima

I went to see Dear Lemon Lima at SIFF and loved this film! Dear Lemon Lima is a coming of age film about a young girl named Vanessa Lemor. After her first love, Philip, breaks her heart over summer break, Vanessa is awarded the minority scholarship to Philip's school, where she befriends a group of outcasts who call themselves the "fubars."

Vanessa is half Yup’ik, and indigenous people from Alaska and Russia, and although she doesn't relate to that part of her background she is seen by the teachers at the school as a poster child for their native heritage. At thirteen she is more interested in regaining the affection of Philip.

Vanessa and the "fubars" sign up for a strength and endurance competition based on Yup'ik traditions, though the exercises seem more like a parody than giving homage to their ancestors, in an attempt to impress Philip and win him back. Instead, she learns that her happiness and friendships are more important.

Her neighbor, Hercules, who is also one of the "fubars" has a much more difficult time finding happiness. This is mainly due to his very restrictive parents not allowing him to hang out with "that native girl" and the rest of the "fubars". Another of the "fubars" who goes by the name "Nothing" is also given a difficult time, only by her peers instead of her parents. Although she looked perfectly healthy to me she was supposed to be the heavy set girl and endured a lot of ridicule from her classmates. But when the group of friends are together nothing seems to bother them. They find strength in each other and are determined to win the competition, or at least try their hardest as a team.

I loved this movie because it shows that just because you may be labeled a certain way or thrown into a stereotype doesn't mean that you have to follow suit. And for those who are enforcing the stereotypes that someone's race, gender, or body type doesn't put them into a fixed personality mold.