Watching Fort Tilden it was nice to see film of my old home of Brooklyn. But sadly the film had a story and characters that were truly repellant.
Bridey Elliott and Clare McNulty are a pair of yuppies now living in the happening area of Williamsburg and basically they are a pair of entitled young women who decide that with cash a little low a day at the beach looks like a cheap day. Turns out to be anything but.
For those who don't know one has to traverse the Borough from north to south then cross the Marine Park Bridge and then travel a bit to the beaches of which Fort Tilden once an army post is one on the Rockaway Peninsula. It's quite a journey.
One of them is supposed to go to the Peace Corps and breaks an appointment with her sponsior. Something tells me her trip will be canceled.
Essentially these are characters you just don't care about.
Plot summary
Fort Tilden: New York City's secluded seaside nirvana where, like flies to honey, Brooklyn's hip millennial set flocks on sweltering weekend afternoons for unbridled summertime indulgence. Amidst the vexing stagnation of quarter-life crises, Allie (Clare McNulty) struggles to prepare for the Peace Corps, while Harper (Bridey Elliot) awaits checks from her father to fund her artistic dreams. But the two friends quickly shun responsibilities for the day when a pair of good-looking guys invites them along for a carefree Fort Tilden afternoon. As the two young women board their fixed-gear bicycles and embark on a lengthy journey to the beach, they quickly realize that, akin to their confusing, transitioning lives, they neither know where they're going nor how they plan to get there. The debut feature film of directors Sarah-Violet Bliss and Charles Rogers - and showcasing the comedic versatility of Clare McNulty and Bridey Elliott as Allie and Harper - "Fort Tilden" is a hilariously insightful and recognizable look at the consequences of extended adolescence.
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Tediously Adorable
Those last two words "tediously adorable" is what this film, by writer/Director: Sarah-Violet Bliss, is all about!
The story opens with Bridely Elliott as 'Harper' & Clare McNulty as 'Allie' sharing an apartment near Brooklyn and it is the waning days of August. From their speech, character, and connections we can guess these two girls have grown up in a privileged background. Both live a mostly directionless, aimless, and self indulgent existence. We find out from friends that these two girls are always together and are more twin like than the singing twins that open the story on the apartment building rooftop party. Harper & Allie meet two boys at this party and discover the boys are going to Fort Tilden for a day at the beach. Harper invites herself and Allie to meet the boys at the beach the next day. The two boys do not object.
The next day is the beginning of this story. The two girls have made no plans on how to get to Fort Tilden and, just like their lives, their attempt to travel the ten mile journey is without direction and aimless. They are easily distracted by their self indulgence and personal needs. They even borrow a bicycle from a neighbor and ditch it when the other bike is stolen as they watch the thief take it.
After arriving at the beach, very late in the day, Harper & Allie learn a 'truth' about themselves. They are both about 25 years old and both are college graduates. The boys and two unexpected girls that are with the boys are just teenagers and still in high school. Harper & Allie had no idea they were just teens. Harper's & Allie's view of the world around them is just like they live it. They find themselves still thinking like teens and avoiding the responsibilities of being adults.
After returning to their apartment the movie ends just like it began. Allie receives a video on her computer by the singing twins and both girls listen to them sing and Allie describes them as being tediously adorable. That is how I found this film about a day in the life of Harper & Allie - tediously adorable. These two are likable and charming characters. Their intentions are noble in thought but both lack the will and drive to follow through. The dialog, editing, and acting are meritorious and I would recommend this film to anyone seeking a light comedy and a brief nonthreatening adventure of two girls in a big city.
May 2, 2020 - I recently watched this movie again and I still love it. Only this time I see that at movies end Allie has taken a personal leap by telling Harper - "Then don't listen". And Harper realizes she has had the carpet pulled out from under her. Anybody who has watched this film will understand what I mean.
Blecch
I admit, I didn't -- couldn't -- watch this entire film. It seems that other reviewers agre with me, that this is a waste of film. The story of two self-centered idiots attempting to get across New York to a beach did not capture my attention.