The Florida Project is one of the best movies of 2017, and a movie that initially made a big impression on me. It’s a look at youth, friendship, parenting, poverty, and most importantly, heartbreak. It's one of Willem Dafoe’s best movies, and initially, his character, Bobby, stands out the most.
He’s a man simply trying to manage a motel. However, he cannot risk the urge to get involved in the lives of the customers. He’s the heart of the story. Bobby takes on so many different roles and relationships with those residing in his motel. However, I recently rewatched it, and another important relationship stood out more: The mother-daughter relationship between Halley (Bria Vinaite) and Moonee (Brooklynn Kimberly Prince).
The complexity of it adds to the emotional toil of The Florida Project. Let's discuss this A24 masterpiece.
Warning: The Florida Project spoilers are ahead. Proceed with caution.
I Find Moonee And Halley’s Relationship So Much More Fascinating After A Rewatch
The Florida Project is a tragic coming-of-age film that also serves as a slice-of-life narrative. Often, many great coming-of-age movies take lighter approaches to the pitfalls and triumphs of growing up. Moonee and her friends have fun as they play, learn, and discover, but we’re viewing the film as adults. We understand the tragedies of Moonee and Halley’s situation in a way the children cannot. Halley is a young, single mother who often feels that way. She’s almost like Moonee’s older sister rather than a mother figure.
Halley’s immaturity is a bit annoying at times, especially during the initial Florida Project viewing. However, rewatching it, Halley is immature, but we know she is trying to survive a bad situation and make the most of it for Moonee. Halley may seem like a neglectful and irresponsible caregiver, but she can only do so much with the resources given to her. We can envision her life before the motel, and how she may be repeating a cycle of poverty, and maybe not having the most stable home environment.
Despite how bad Halley and Moonee’s life looks from an outside perspective, Moonee, overall, is a jolly child. This is because Halley tries to shield her from some of the situations. She also doesn’t try to dim her spark or force her to live in the real world. Halley allows Moonee to be a kid.
They Almost Parallel Each Other, In A Bad Way
However, what makes The Florida Project a great sad movie is that sometimes the things that makes it feel uplifting at times are also what makes it tragic. The joy of childhood comes across in Moonee, but it also does in Halley. But, Halley is the adult in this situation, so her trying to hold on to her child-like sense of wonder is also what hurts their family. Halley continues to make emotional and immature decisions. This mostly leads to constant stress and complications for the mother and daughter.
Moonee also constantly makes bad decisions. Nevertheless, she is a child, so it’s all part of the process of growing up and learning. You can forgive her for some of her bad behavior because you hope she will learn, grow, and change. These childish ways will die with age. Halley shows a different story. Halley is young, probably barely a few years older than childhood. Her behavior makes her still a child mentally.
I judged Halley for her behavior because it seems like she’s stuck in arrested development. She refuses to grow up. This mentality is excusable with Moonee because you hope that eventually she grows up. Halley may eventually, as well, but she already needs to be further along in her development and maturity because she’s the parent. She does the best she can, especially given her situation, but it still doesn’t seem like enough.
Moonee is allowed to be a child, but you can’t allow the same understanding and forgiveness with Halley because her immaturity hurts them both.
I Believe Halley And Moonee Are What Makes The Florida Project So Heartbreaking
As someone who didn’t grow up wealthy, I can relate to Moonee. I grew up in a poor neighborhood, but had a great time there because of the friends I made in the community and the sense of closeness from my neighbors. However, now that I am older, I can see some of the bad things about my upbringing that I was completely oblivious to as a child. This is because of my parents, and also how these poor communities often protect and look after each other. The Florida Project captures that sense of togetherness.
However, even with so much love and vibrancy, the tragic elements come through. Halley has to do many dangerous and compromising things to provide for Moonee. This also puts her daughter in some dangerous situations.
You never doubt Halley’s love for her. Their bond is strong, and the community surrounding them is strong as well. That’s why it’s an additional tragedy when these characters lose their best friends. Moonee finds a new best friend, but it’s harder for adults to form those quick bonds. You feel Ashley (Mela Murder) and Halley’s friendship ending more because of not only how it ends, but where it leads. This also may be one of the best movies about the power of friendships.
Halley and Moonee start The Florida Project with such joy and wonder, but lose that by the end.
I Think Bobby’s Relationship To Both Girls Also Adds To The Film’s Complexity
Bobby is a character who wants to be detached from those around him, but you can see how much he cares. He almost has a fatherly relationship with Halley, but in a very strict way. He bends the rules a lot for her. In general, Bobby is hated and loved by the residents. He shares that feeling by finding them to be an annoyance, but also goes out of his way to make their lives better.
One of the most memorable scenes is when Bobby catches a man watching the children. He confronts and attacks him. This shows how much Bobby truly cares for these people. He notices a predator and immediately acts to save the children. Bobby becomes a stand-in father or grandfather for these kids, Moonee included.
He is a caregiver and provider, whether he wants that role or not. Bobby protects and cares for Halley and Moonee.
The Florida Project Ending Is More Heartbreaking, To Me, When You View Moonee And Halley’s Tragedies Separately
The Florida Project has a fantastical ending that may confuse many. It’s not a movie with a confusing ending for the typical reasons, but because you know it’s likely not real, but wish it were actually happening. Moonee is being taken away from Halley, but she runs off with her best friend Jancey (Valeria Cotto) to Disney World.
In reality, Moonee likely says goodbye to Jancey and immediately goes into foster care. Moonee’s story is tragic because the wonders of childhood likely ended on this day. She’ll enter the foster care system, and who knows if it’ll be fine or if she'll face many hardships. We know she’ll lose the joy that came with being with Halley.
Halley will either finally grow up and take the necessary steps to regain custody of Moonee, or she will continue to repeat the cycle and never see her daughter again. They are losing each other, while also losing the wonder that makes up their essence.
The Florida Project is still an amazing movie that grows in complexity with each viewing.
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