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Best movie of this year hands down!

Memorable, crazy movie

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

I like movies with strong ethical centers but I hate movies that are predictable or patronizing. I am so delighted when I find a movie about a family with positive attributes but is also genuinely funny and original. This movie is all that! It deals with some heavy issues but isn't ponderous.

I doubt that many people have seen Colette Burson's "Permanent", but I recommend it. The focus is a girl in 1982 Virginia who wants a perm, but it leads to all sorts of complications in her home life and school life. The movie addresses vanity, or just the general desire to fit in, even at the expense of one's true identity. The characters are developed enough so that we feel for them, even when they do questionable things. I thought that the dad's toupee and moustache made him look like Bruce Campbell. Will any of us EVER be content with just our natural hair?It's not a masterpiece, but a good piece of work. I hope to see more movies from Ms. Burson in the coming years.

The movie is light and witty all the while addressing very serious issues such as teenage angst, marital discrepancies, race, and various family dynamics. It is enjoyable, relatable, and memorable.

Arquette's hilarious performance leads a cast of unknowns (except Wilson) through 1982, small-town Virginia. The writing is spot on and the characters (many local, untrained actors) are as believable as can be. Nena Daniels, a local, steals every scene she's in. This is not a typical 80s, Hollywood, high school angst movie. There is nothing Hollywood about it and school life is only half the story. The other half is family - your family - no matter how quirky, weird or embarrassing they may be. If you went to middle school or high school during this period - like me - absolutely everything in this film will strike a chord. You will watch it and say, "I knew a kid like that! I had a teacher like that! My parents, my weird neighbor, our kitchen, my school, those eye glasses, those outfits, those horrible hairdos, the local beauty college, the goofy townspeople - I remember that stuff!" *****10 stars for 90 minutes of quirky fun and memories (and 3 minutes of School House Rocks!)*****