Casey Makes A Mixtape, written and directed by Blake Calhoun, is set in 1981 and begins with Casey (Presley Richardson) being ferried from her California home to a small Texas town by her mother (Arianne Martin). This unfamiliar location is home to the 13-year-old’s grandparents, Mimi (Jennifer Griffin) and Poppy (Brad Leland), whom Casey doesn’t know too well. The reason for the drop-off is so that the mom can jet off to Europe with her latest fling, whom she is certain will pop the question when they visit Paris.
Casey loves music and spends her downtime recording songs off the radio to make the best mixtape ever. While out skating one day, she runs into Craig (Julian Hilliard), a 12-year-old who shares her interests in skating and music. The two become fast friends, and the circle soon expands to include Carrie (Kennedy Celeste), who joins Casey in an epic quest to record a specific song off the radio.
Casey Makes A Mixtape is cute but slight. There are no stakes to speak of and no dramatic turns that upend the tone. This makes the narrative simply an observational coming-of-age tale with some comedic and dramatic beats. But there is a charm to seeing adolescence before the internet and social media took over. Most importantly, though, Calhoun eschews a great number of clichés. While Casey and her grandparents butt heads on occasion, they largely get along well, even if they don’t always understand each other. The main character isn’t antisocial and is more than happy to make friends with shared passions. A sequence revolving around going swimming at a pool ends up different from what was expected. The smash cut after a conversation about it between Casey and Mimi suggests X joke, but it never happens. Calhoun isn’t interested in cheap gags, but instead honestly portrays Casey and how this summer and its music shift her perspective on the life she had in California.
“Casey loves music and spends her downtime recording songs off the radio to make the best mixtape ever.”
To that end, Richardson has quite the task before her. The actor needs to be both frustrated and sweet, wise beyond their years yet a naive teenager, and confused yet hopeful about their relationship with the adults in their life. She proves to be affable and the right mix of likable and goofy to pull it all off. It helps matters that Richardson’s chemistry with Griffin and Leland is strong, cementing their relationship right away.
TJ Callaway’s sound mixing and design are also fantastic. Drum beats and other music cues pop up whenever Casey discusses music with her friends. Bear in mind, the songs are not playing; it is just the drums or guitar riffs, what have you, to emphasize the artistry of the musician(s) being discussed. It is a superb choice that makes the film stand out from other coming-of-age titles set in a similar time.
Casey Makes A Mixtape is well-acted and well-made. While the story lacks heft, it doesn’t require it. There’s something charming, even innocent, about the wholesome simplicity on display. If one group in this time, or just loves music from the early 1980s, this is a trip down memory lane that is worth skating through.
For screening information, visit the Casey Makes A Mixtape page at the Loud Pictures website.
"…a trip down memory lane that is worth skating through."
