Au Pair, Kansas

I managed to catch this movie on Netflix. While flicking through the selection catalogue, a still of Traci Lords popped up. I recognised her straight away, and knew I had to watch it. Now before I continue I have to say I am a massive Traci Lords fan. I have followed her from her rise as the biggest name in the adult film industry to her re-birth as a legitimate actress. This may be the reason I have a bias towards her. In any case, I have also gone through all of the reviews, both negative and positive. Since others have covered everything here in great detail, I will just add briefly to it and say I also enjoyed the film. It was a feel good movie that ultimately succeeded. There were parts in it that did not seem realistic, but it did not take away from the overall experience. Traci looked as beautiful as ever, and it is great to see how well her career as an actress has progressed throughout the year. I would recommend this.

I really enjoyed this movie - the fact that it is a low budget movie does not show! It is beautifully captured, realistic and very sweet! I liked the backgrounds, settings and the music, living in a small town myself - it felt very real! The characters are very fitting for the storyline, you really feel like you get to know them and their personalities - even thought the movie is pretty short! You kinda form a relationship with them while watching! You share the emotions with and towards the different characters - it "pulls" you in! ;o) Thank you for a great movie experience! I don't want to spoil anything - just see it for yourself, you won't be disappointed!! ;o)

I can't recommend this film highly enough. Traci Lords has become quite the actress and brings a great performance to a woman who feels betrayed by a husband who she wonders if he ever loved her and who left her all too soon. Trying to give her boys a role model she hires a male Norwegian au pair. This is a movie about dealing with loss and coming to terms with it. The acting is top notch, the small Kansas town is charming with some great scenery, and the writing is believable. The au pair is obsessed with soccer and it is through soccer that he bonds with the kids and much of the rest of the town. Meanwhile the mom (Lords) becomes suspicious of the au pair for a variety of reasons. One device used through out the film is that of having the husband speak both as a ghost and via video tapes. It effectively establishes his relationships with both his wife and his kids. You won't be sorry you watched this film.

Oops, Netflix flubbed this one. Poorly written and assembled into a story line. Like this ***Spoiler*** Helen accuses her Au Pair of diddling the kids because she is a paranoid homophobe. When she finds the kids with him, takes the youngest (around 12) home and dashes off for a night of romance. She leaves her 12yr old him alone and leaves her 16 yr old with someone she thinks molested him? Huh, what? The other reviews had this as a great and moving story? What? I did find it ironic that a former pornstar plays a homophobe. One last detail, but I think the movie had bison and not buffalo. I might be mistaken on that but not on the wasted time that the movie stole from me.

I enjoyed this film at the 2011 Naples International Film Festival last week. I was particularly impressed with the writer/director, JT O'Neal, who held an informative and entertaining Q&A afterwards. O'Neal is someone to watch in the independent film world. He is a wonderful storyteller, highly intelligent and very personable. The tales he told about making this film are almost as wonderful as the film itself. It is a story of seeking and finding happiness after loss. It reminds us that human beings need to play, to laugh and to love in order to get the most out of what life has to offer. The optimistic soccer nanny from Norway is the catalyst for this and you will love him. The two sons in the film (Atticus and Beau) also put in terrific performances.

Netflix rated this as "G", despite language and content I did NOT want my children to see. It is described as a family film about a soccer loving au pair from Norway. My kids are 5 and 7. They play soccer. What's not to like? Right? Wrong! What this movie was, was the "it's OK to be gay" message delivered with a heavy dose of sexual innuendo. This is NOT a family film. Sexual preference and morals aside, the language and sexual references alone make this definitely not a G rated movie. The dead father is bi, they accuse the nanny of being gay and a pedophile, the mom is messing around with the coach, they hint that the youngest son is gay, they reference abortion, and the drag queen... well, that's funny. All in all I am extremely disgusted by this movie and the fact that it was advertised as a family film. Disgusted.

This is a very moving, intriguing and quietly funny film. It is a story about family, identity, grief and longing. Considering the low budget and limited production time, the cinematography is amazing and the production design is quite classy. The performances are impressive especially by the youngest of players. The two young brothers deliver some of the finest acting I have seen in film lately. It is the first film I have seen Tracy Lords in and she did a fine job of playing the widowed single Mom. This is a tale intricately woven which unfolds slowly, yet at the perfect pace. It is compelling, surprising and quite satisfying. It's the kind of film that stays with you and forces you to think about it and savor it. A quite well done little gem.

In brief: it was absolutely fantastic. Au Pair Kansas is a very well written and directed movie by JT O'Neal. The film tells the story of a woman dealing with the death of her husband and wondering if he ever really loved her. To try and give her boys a positive role model she hires a soccer mad male Norwegian au pair. It has a perfect balance of comedy and drama. If you do not laugh and also shed at least one tear when watching this film then you are really missing the plot. The film captures the beauty of this area of Kansas and such starkness as well as beauty relates well with the story being told. The shots are amazing, the cast great, and the humor and pace perfect. The characters all have depth and are very believable. It really is a great film with a few quirky bits to keep you thinking. I could go on, but I think you should see it for yourself. You will not regret it.