Stephanie Daley (2007)

I've seen a few "teenage mom" movies, but this one is almost hauntingly effective. Most of the credit for that goes to Amber Tamblyn in the title role. She's complex and heartbreaking in a role that runs the gamut: innocence, sullenness, defiance, and guilt.

It felt so real that I was rather surprised to find out it was fiction. The film seemed to keep things under control -- no unnecessary sensationalism. The "big" scene that finally shows us exactly what happened is simply amazing.

I'm not sure this film will hold up in my memory, but there's no doubt whatsoever that Tamblyn's amazing work will.

B-