Chicago’s Greatest Hits. That was the cassette I had to endlessly listen to growing up as my dad drove me around running errands. Suffice to say, Beverly Moody’s (Gemma Brooke Allen) parents were WAY cooler than my dad. Mixtape captures that very teenage right of passage as kid learns to connect to older relatives through their taste in music. Ok, I overstepped a tad, “25 or 6 to 4” and “Saturday in the Park” are great songs, so thanks dad, I guess?
Nearing Y2K, in Spokane Washington, young Beverly Moody finds a mixtape from her mom and dad, who tragically died in a car crash a while ago. Now raised by her grandmother Gail (Julie Bowen), Beverly finds a list of songs she’s never heard of before that she wants to listen to. She goes into a local music store run by Anti (Nick Thune), the prickly owner. He reluctantly helps Beverly with the first song, but makes her seek help to get the rest. Beverly reaches out to other junior high outcasts that might be able to help her: Ellen (Audrey Hsieh) has access to the internet, and therefore, Napster, and Nicky (Olga Petsa) just happens to have lots of shirts from the cool bands Beverley is hunting down.
Mixtape plants its flag on the power of music. The movie’s basic premise is built on that truth; all Beverly wants is to learn about her parents and connect with them in some way, and this mixtape allow her a glimpse into their all to short lives. Props to the Netflix producers for allowing all sorts of royalties to be paid for just an amazing soundtrack of bangers from many different eras of music. This adventure into musical past gives Beverly a way to connect with her peers, finding other lonely girls excited to find unexpected friendship though a musical awakening. When a great song hits you, all those emotional barriers come tumbling down, which Beverly, Ellen, and Nicky simultaneously experience through Beverly’s quest to connect with her parents. Thus, the musical connection leads to friendship which leads to confidence buildup as, the three girls now get the courage to standup to the school bully. That shared bonding experiences gives Mixtape its joyful power that sweeps over you and stays with you, even during the movie’s dark times.
Because that musical connection also gives Beverly confidence to really understand her mother, which means asking grandma to open up her about her past, which she clearly does not want to. Julie Bowen is here to carry the weight of the loss of her kids while Beverly gets to go on plucky quests. Gail struggles to bury her feelings, working instead to give Beverly everything that can make her life easier. Though rushed, the scenes where Bowen is forced to open up and confront her past work pretty well, as you can see the anguish Gail is going through, knowing this information will help Beverly find the answers she seeks.
The Kinks. Cheap Trick. Lit. Girls At Our Best. Third Eye Blind. Blue Hearts. King Harvest. Stooges. The Quick. I cannot stress how excellent Mixtape’s Spotify playlist soundtrack is. I hope families watch this movie together, with parents showing their kids how cool some of these non-Drake named bands actually are. Plus as a 14 year old in 1999, I approve all the subtle period specific references like composition books, Napster, Alta Vista, and Jansport Backpacks. Spot on.