“Twin Cousins” is like a live action Peanuts cartoon. It’s a charming story about kids being kids, with some crisis thrown in to help pull the audience into its warmth. The film is even scored with Peanuts like music. The only thing that’s missing is somebody screaming “blockhead” every once in a while. Although, somebody does say “yo mama” and I’ll take that over a “blockhead” any day.
Two young schoolgirls, Boogie and Vonda, best of friends, face possible separation when Boogie’s bedridden mother passes away. Boogie is sent to live with her Aunt Hattie for the summer, after which she will be sent to a boarding school. Traumatized by the news, Vonda vows to pass an exiting exam at school so that she will be able to join her best friend next semester. Thing is, as Boogie spends her summer away from home, she begins to change and Vonda’s plan meets a bit of a backfire. You can almost hear Charlie Brown go “UGH!”
I love seeing films focused around kids that are actually well acted and this is one of them. It takes not only talent in front of the camera, but a skilled director as well to pull such performances from his cast.
“Twin Cousins” can be found on “The Best of the Acapulco Black Film Festival Short Film Collection” DVD.
