Magnetosphere
A quirky and sensitive coming-of-age tale about a teen girl struggling to adapt to life in a new town -- with the added pressure of seeing lights and colors where no one else does.
One of the key aspects of adolescence is that not only are you faced with a barrage of new and icky challenges, you often feel like you’re the only one in the world ever to experience them. Maggie Campion truly thinks this is the case, and she might just be right.
In addition to the usual angst of being 13 — feeling ugly, adapting to a new town and school, acne, unrequited crushes — she finds herself seeing lights and color around her that no one else does. These are generally tied to emotions and relationships, so for example her chirpy little sister, Evie (Zooey Schneider), has an aura of pink. The fishbowl on her art teacher’s desk seems filled with a mini-fireworks of hues.
Unfortunately, what Maggie (Shayelin Martin) mostly sees when she looks in the mirror is a drab, gray cloud. She doesn’t like what she sees, which makes her feel bad, which only makes the gray seem even bleaker.
That’s the premise behind “Magnetosphere,” a quirky and sensitive coming-of-age tale. It’s now available for VOD rental or purchase on all the usual streaming platforms. While it’s a decidedly low-budget affair, the movie’s got a lot of heart and a strong performance by Martin, who really makes us identify with the tough times of being that age.
In 1997, Maggie has just moved to a new town with her sister and parents, mom Helen (Tania Webb) and father, Russell (Patrick McKenna). Dad got a tenure-track job as a professor of theater at the local college, and is looking to make a big splash by staging a performance of “The Pirates of Penzance.”
He’s one of those relentlessly upbeat guys, always trying to see the sunny side of things, though that means sometimes he’s not so great at relating to Maggie’s teetering depression. Mom is a little more grounded and present.
Maggie finds herself feeling sweet toward Travis (Steven He), an astrophysics student and a performer in Russell’s play. Even though he’s nearly twice her age, they form a tender and supportive friendship, even giving her the nickname that is the film’s title. Of course, eventually things are going to come to a painful turn.
She also finds some solace from the bullying girls at school with Wendy (Mikayla Kong), a smart and friendly girl who seems to be a little more self-aware than the others. They partner on school projects and hang out, though Wendy finds herself growing vexed at Maggie’s non-stop chatter about how awesome Travis is.
Maggie also hears a shrill, harping voice in her head — taking the form of Cassiopeia (voice of Tara Strong), one of her dolls who labels herself the voice of all the insecurities inside her head. It’s possibly related to Maggie’s colors problem, as she finds it super difficult to process her feelings through the normal sensory array everybody else takes for granted.
Colin Mochrie, best known for the “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” show, turns up as Gil, the stark raving odd plumber the Campions bring in to move the toilet in the kitchen of their new house, and he keeps assigning himself new odd jobs, such as trying to get rid of rats with a chainsaw. Turns out Gil has hidden talents that come in handy later on.
I also appreciated the calm presence of Debra McGrath as Ms. Deering, the art teacher who recognizes Maggie’s talent and sensitivity, and works to nudge things in the right direction. So many movies posit teachers as oblivious or actively malevolent, so it’s nice to see one recognize how a special teacher can make all the difference to a kid.
“Magnetosphere” is written and directed by Nicola Rose, her second feature film after an apprenticeship in shorts. The tone can be pretty serious at times, and we wonder if Maggie will find help before she turns into some truly dangerous territory. But Rose also leavens things with plenty of humor and warmth.
Example: Maggie writes a song for Travis, but before delivering the cassette tape, makes sure to establish her copyright in the accompanying note. Somehow I think this kid is going to turn out alright, with lots of rainbows in front of her.