12 And Holding

Drama

Bruce Altman	Coach Gilmore
Jayne Atkinson	Ashley Carges
Jesse Camacho	Leonard Fisher
Martin Campetta	Jeff
Marcia DeBonis	Grace Fisher
Conor Donovan	Jacob Carges
Joseph Foster	Keith Gardner
Michael C. Fuchs	Kenny
Adam Lefevre	Gabe Artunion
Mark Linn-Baker	Mr. Farmer
Zoe Weizenbaum	Malee Chuang
Jeremy Renner	Gus Maitland
Annabella Sciorra	Carla Chuang
Linus Roache	Jim Carges
Tom McGowan	Patrick Fisher
Marcella Lowery
Merritt Wever

Director	Michael Cuesta
Producer	Brian Bell; Michael Cuesta; Leslie Urdang; Jenny Schweitzer; Michael Hoffman
Writer	Anthony Cipriano

The raw and fragile lives of three preteens unravel in 12 and Holding, a rich and compelling independent film. When an outgoing boy named Rudy is accidentally killed by two other boys, Rudy's twin brother Jacob (Conor Donovan) starts visiting the killers in prison to try to make sense of his life and of his parent's diverse reactions; his mother (Jayne Atkinson, 24) craves revenge while his father (Linus Roache, Priest) tries to move forward. Meanwhile, two of the twins' friends also spin off in diverse directions: Precocious Malee (Zoe Weizenbaum) becomes fixated on a troubled construction worker (Jeremy Renner, North Country), while overweight Leonard (Jesse Camacho) obsesses on losing weight and forcing his obese family to lose weight as well. 12 and Holding moves fluidly between these three stories, gradually building an emotional intimacy with the characters that is unsettling, sad, and finally rewarding. The movie hits a few false notes, but the vast majority of the scenes feel vivid and honest, much like director Michael Cuesta's previous film, L.I.E.. Both the adults (including Annabella Sciorra, Jungle Fever) and the kids give excellent performances; Renner's wrenching turn stands out, but the entire cast makes this a memorable and complex film. --Bret Fetzer