The Kids are not Alright

A couple of years ago, writer-director Destin Daniel Crettin was going through the journals he kept when he worked at a foster care facility for troubled teens. He discovered that many of his experiences would make for a good movie. So he began work on the script for what would become last year’s Short Term 12, a film that stars Brie Larson and John Gallagher as Grace and Mason, a young couple who work at a foster care facility by day and try to maintain a relationship by night. Keeping the kids in line isn’t easy and the task becomes even more difficult when Jayden (Kaitlyn Dever) shows up at the facility. She often cuts herself and Grace must confront her own issues if she can truly help Jayden get better. The film didn’t generate much money at the box office last year, but Larson and Gallagher have great chemistry, and the movie is a real gem. It screens at 7 tonight and at 8:45 on Sunday night at the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque. Tickets are $9. (Niesel)