"You're here to provide a safe environment." This early line in Destin Cretton's "Short Term 12" is an instruction from Grace (Brie Larson), manager of a foster care facility for troubled youth, to a naive new employee. It's also a spectacular setup to a beautiful, subtle film that explores the true meanings of safety and home.
Grace appears to be in her late twenties, with a world-weary demeanor she's come by honestly. She has an easy romantic relationship with her coworker, the jovial and supportive Mason (John Gallagher Jr.) and finds both frustration and comfort in her job, providing tough love to kids and teens discarded by their own families. But when both work and home life are threatened, Grace must finally confront the demons of her past.
Writer-director Cretton infuses "Short Term 12" with a quiet authenticity. The naturalistic dialogue eschews cliches (don't call youth "underprivileged" to their faces, please), opting instead for true conversation that often appears improvised. It's the opposite of "mumblecore": these characters have a purpose, and an important one. They're making little money (Grace and Mason's apartment is exactly what they'd be able to afford) and giving their entire beings to a largely thankless job, in hopes that someone, anyone will benefit. There are no guarantees in foster care, and plenty of roadblocks: soulful longtime resident Marcus (Keith Stanfield) is a week away from aging out of the home, and sullen Jayden (Kaitlyn Dever) comes from a relatively privileged background, but refuses to talk about the reasons behind her self-destructive behavior.
"Short Term 12"'s ultimate strength is its cast. Both Stanfield and Dever deliver thoughtful performances as complex teens struggling to find security in music and art. Gallagher Jr.'s scruffy, open Mason is all love, equal parts patient and frustrated with Grace's guarded nature. But more than anything, the film is a showcase for Larson. She never showboats or overacts - her sad eyes speak volumes. Thanks to Cretton's strong script and direction and Larson's low-key interpretation, Grace is a real person: firm and kind in her professional life, a rock for unmoored children, but repressed to the point of barely concealed rage and sorrow.
The film isn't always easy to watch, appropriately reflecting the hardscrabble backgrounds of nearly all its characters. Cretton doesn't shy away from the grim realities of abuse directed at others and oneself. And that's where "Short Term 12" sets itself apart from its sappier counterparts. Not everyone can find home, but there is solace in giving and getting help.