Waiting For Forever is a surprising breath of fresh air from the usual Hollywood romance. Set in a small town outside of Los Angeles, Emma Twist (Rachel Bilson), a jaded television actress, is returning to her hometown to visit her dying father. Upset about her rocky relationship with an angry boyfriend and embarrassed by the terrible TV show that she stars in, she is stressed out and disappointed by life. Enter Will Donner (Tom Sturridge), the eternal optimist who lives his life as a pajama-sporting traveling magician with a one-track mind: to follow Emma, his childhood best friend, around the country, staying just out of reach of her awareness. Having lost his parents to a train accident as a ten-year-old, he was whisked away from Emma's town never to interact with her again, but not before she told him the words that would remain with him forever: "they will always be there with you."
This movie may sound cheezy, but the surprising part is it's really not. Rachel Bilson plays the role of Emma elegantly: she is remarkably genuine and likable, and we are hoping to see her life turn around. Emma's parents, Miranda and Richard Twist, are played by the talented Blythe Danner and Richard Jenkins, who play off each other perfectly in a complex, realistic marriage preparing for the death of Richard. Miranda's optimistic outlook clashes with Richard's realism, who becomes edgy and impatient around his sugar-coated wife. We notice immediately as Emma steps in the door the need to tell her mother everything is okay as the world is crumbling around her. Her mother is too fragile to hear anything but good news. Her father, on the other hand, although dying, is the toughest character in the movie, ready for anything. In one of the most moving scenes of the movie, Miranda and Richard get into a terrible fight while Richard is in the bathtub. Richard is biting, sarcastic, and mean, and for the first time, we see Miranda shed her gentleness and become engulfed in rage, shouting and crying. He then tells her, "you have to be strong when I'm gone."
In a question and answer session with the director, he mentioned the theme of realism vs. optimism throughout the movie. Emma is worn out and battered by life, reminiscing fondly back to childhood, when things seemed so easy. She is almost always dressed in dark colors and blues. Will, on the other hand, is childlike and innocent, truly believing that the world is a happy place full of fun; his is. He is often dressed in lighter colors and golds. His joyful attitude angers his older brother, who sees him as a joke and a loser, a child who needs to grow up. This dynamic is also played out masterfully between Emma's parents. Emma's mother can't go on living with a permanent smile on her face as her husband gets closer and closer to death. Pain and hurt are a part of life, and although they can't be denied, we can learn to accept what comes gracefully.
By the time we reach the scene in which Will is going to talk to Emma for the first time since they were ten, admitting his lifetime love for her, we want to see him get the reaction that he wants. However, the true darkness of the world is never far away, and Will finds himself blamed for murder, among other things, as he realizes the world is not always a playground. -Nicole Muhlethaler
