“Our Very Own” is about a few days in the life of some teens in Shelbyville, Tennessee during a time when disco ruined the airwaves and “Every Which Way But Loose” was about to be launched on film audiences everywhere. Clancy (Jason Ritter) and Melora (Autumn Reeser) are two of the group, and they have a little bit of an attraction going on, despite the fact that Melora is obsessed with the notion that Sondra Locke may show up at their annual Horse Walk.
There is one glaring thing about this film that keeps it from being thoroughly engaging. It isn’t that there is no major conflict or even that little is solved by the film’s conclusion. No, it’s that the teenagers act more like twelve-year-olds most of the time. I understand this is a period of innocence, but here it’s a little too much. It’s a shame, too, as they are all talented actors and there really were some interesting characters who could have been more fully developed and investigated.
A good movie is hiding somewhere inside “Our Very Own.” It’s buried under a story that ultimately goes nowhere and characters who don’t really act their age, but who are brought to life by actors who are more than competent. Competency isn’t enough to save this picture, though. Not even close.
