First - for the people who go straight to the bad reviews: Click on each of the ID's of those 4 negative reviews done within a few days of each other. They have names like "MovieBuff" etc. Not a single one of those reviewers have had ANY other activity on IMDb aside from panning this movie. Zilch. All the bad reviews are the same one regurgitated. Which leads me to believe someone has a problem w/the film makers. It is insane this movie has such a low rating, and pretty sad that IMDb would allow something so obvious to go on unnoticed.Now on to the movie. I won't go into specifics because it is sort of difficult to go that far into the details without spoiling - since part of the allure is in the flow of the movie. On the movie box, it says "mesmerizing". I felt the same way - I was waiting for it to happen - it being quite a few things. Some I guessed right, some I guessed wrong, some I didn't see coming at all. Some that I saw coming that did, didn't come at the time. It's an unpredictable movie, which I find appealing. The plot is pretty straight forward, it's more about the direction. Where is this movie going - like waiting for a train wreck you KNOW is coming.The acting was great for the most part. I thought the diner manager was awful, I could have read better lines and I have zero experience acting! He had like 2 lines in the movie and they stick out because they were so insincere. Maybe that was by design, but I doubt it. The female lead does well, she is conflicted and it shows and it is believable. All of the characters in this movie are flawed, save for the child, who, from what I took away from the movie, played a bigger role than it would seem. The lead actor, with Down Syndrome, does a fantastic job. I wouldn't say he had to "act" much. He was obviously very believable, never did I feel he was being coached. It was a sincere performance, one he clearly understood, and at times his sincerity was touching. His reaction to situations, no matter how tragic or good were very even - as a parent of a high functioning autistic, it was dead on. Character development was acceptable. Not enough to where you care so deeply about one or two characters - I was more interested in seeing what was going to happen. Who is going to get what they deserve, etc. I didn't get emotional at all, and maybe that was the intention of the film maker. He could have easily gone that route. In the end, there is a moral to the story, certainly there is an innocence to it, and it explores the vulnerabilities and imperfections in all of us - disabled or 'typical' we all have them. It also leaves you hopeful, that beneath those flaws, there is a natural good in all of us, just as well.

"Girlfriend" wasn't fully all that I had expected it to be. That being said, don't get me wrong, because it is not a bad movie, far from it. "Girlfriend" is a beautifully told drama, I had just initially expected a little bit more from it. Though it was good entertainment.The story in the movie is about Evan, who has Down Syndrome, living with his mom in a small town, where he helps her out at a diner. One day his mom doesn't wake up in the morning as she usually does, and Evan is left alone in a world, where he is coming to terms with life around him and being in love with Candy, a single mom who he went to high school with - but she is having issues with a former boyfriend, and he is violent."Girlfriend" is a beautifully told story about life and relationships that transcends beyond the usual shallow approach many of us actually have towards these matters, whether we acknowledge it or not. It tells the story of an innocent youth with a heartfelt crush on a woman. And it tells the story of not being "normal" in the terms of what we as a society has branded as "normal". It was a very moving story and it was nicely executed on the screen.The cinematography was just brilliant. Lots of great camera work here, it was subtle, but still so beautiful, and there was some very emotional and symbolic images throughout the movie, that was really brought to life by the great visionary eye of the camera crew.As for the acting, well then I think they had some nice people on the list, and newcomer to the movie industry, Evan Sneider (playing Evan) really did a great job. Thumbs up on that. His performance was very natural and believable, and it was charismatic and right on the money. But also the performance by Shannon Woodward (playing Candy) was quite good, having good chemistry with Evan on the screen. Cast as the violent ex-boyfriend Russ was Jackson Rathbone, and he was really well cast for that role, he was very charismatic and acted out that role to perfection. Playing Evan's mom, Celeste, was Amanda Plummer, who despite just having a supporting minor role in the movie, really left a great impact on the rest of the movie even after her character died.If you like dramas that very well could have been taken straight out of our ordinary every day lives, then you definitely should check out "Girlfriend". It is a beautiful movie with a great story and a big heart. It is the type of movie that will stick with you for some time, because it was just that beautiful.

First, I'm not part of the cast or crew. I'm not "affiliated" with the film in any manner. I watched it at the 2011 Down Syndrome Congress National Convention, and I thought it was well worth the time.Interestingly enough, I wouldn't classify it as a "Down Syndrome" film. I believe it will be just as entertaining and worthwhile to people who have no affiliation with Down as it is to those who do. It's a solid story that highlights some very believable situations.The situations related to Down are very poignant, despite not being the focus of the movie -- Evan's ability to care for himself barely scrapes "minimal." He doesn't have the acumen to deal with an antagonistic boss, he makes some very poor financial choices, and at times he simply wanders off in a child-like manner. However, when his mother dies, he's left without any kind of caretaker. Unfortunately, his situation is anything but a flight of movie fancy; it happens every day.Still, Evan, Down Syndrome, and Evan's uncertain future aren't the focus of the film. Candy brings in another very realistic element: a single mother struggling financially, stuck in an abusive relationship after making some poor relationship choices.I thought the acting was quite good. In particular, Candy's reaction to Evan's infatuation (and the depth of his infatuation) was superb. Jackson Rathbone did well as Russ, too -- with Russ being such a jerk, it would have been easy to make him a caricature "bad guy." Real people are never that one-dimensional, though, and Rathbone added to the realism of the movie by showing some real internal conflict. Yes, Russ is a jerk, but part of that personality is the result of some internal vulnerability and real world events.And Evan Sneider was excellent. Another reviewer complained that Evan was "obviously coached." Well, yes, that's what director do. They coached Katherine Hepburn, they coach Tom Cruise, they coach William H. Macy, and I'm sure Justin Lerner coached Evan. Both Justin and Evan did a fine job.The filming itself was great. I was really impressed by how well the choice of shots emphasized the characters' personalities or relationship with the world.I'm pretty surprised at the snide comments from some of the other reviewers, particularly intimations that this subject matter is somehow "overdone." One reviewer mentions "Life Goes On" -- news flash, folks, that series wrapped up 17 years ago. And the idea that "Girlfriends" is exploitive is ludicrous. The fact that Evan's character is mentally challenged is essential to the plot.Overall, this was an excellent film and certainly worth taking the time to watch.

I went to this movie with a group of 6 friends and none of us liked it. We tried to like it but we just couldn't. It was over acted and not well written. The main character, Evan, was interesting but you could tell he was be coached off screen. The rest of the cast was tolerable but I don't think Oscar will be calling any of them anytime soon. I actually can't understand why the movie was made. Other than some has beens and soon to be has beens, the storyline has been covered. Amanda Plummer was actually the only bright spot in the movie. She was honest and played the part she was given. If the writing is bad it's really not the actors fault. If you have to see it, wait till it gets to RedBox next month and ask a friend to chip in for the buck.