Adolescence is awkward and uncomfortable. According to writer-director Chris Merola’s Lemonade Blessing, it’s also the time when peer pressure is at its highest. In this feature directorial debut, adolescence becomes even more complicated when religion is thrown into the mix. This coming-of-age dramedy takes a fascinating approach towards dissecting those important developmental years when so many external pressures prevent us from being our best selves. In doing so, Lemonade Blessing, while often an uncomfortable watch, breaks away from its tired genre tropes to yield a charming feature with excellent commentary on important themes.
The story follows John (Jake Ryan) in his first year at a private Catholic high school. John has always been the perfect son to his devout Catholic mother, Mary (Jeanine Serralles), but lately she’s kept a keener eye on him. Even if that means standing outside the bathroom as John bathes to prevent him from doing things she’d deem sinful. A child of a recent divorce, John is just trying to find his place in the world while also making his parents proud. At least he’s got one thing figured out: training to be a Eucharist, just like his mother raised him to be.
Lemonade Blessing Gives An Honest Look At Adolescence With Sincerity & Comedy
John’s plans are soon disrupted as he becomes more interested in girls while also questioning his own faith. To make matters worse, his latest crush, Lilith (Skye Alyssa Friedman), has a penchant for deviousness, especially against her strict religious upbringing. Lilith puts John’s love to the test by pushing his morals and demanding distressing sacrilegious challenges. As if John’s life weren’t already complicated enough, the one person he wants most, Lilith, is also the one responsible for his wavering faith.
Chris Merola’s feature debut tackles the inherent awkwardness and complications of growing up in strict religious households at a time when curiosity about the opposite Sєx begins to peak. By doing so, Lemonade Blessing contains both a raunchy comedic flair and a dramatic effect that will remind you of your younger years. Foundationally, this film can be seen as the male counterpart to Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird. Instead of anti-abortion lectures, our central character gets an important lesson on marrying a woman who is a virgin and not “turning girls into sluts.”
Merola pushes the boundaries further as he deconstructs the concept of fitting in, a theme that is a foundation of the subgenre. Though John holds some disregard for several of the actions Lilith demands of him, he somewhat enjoys them too, further confusing himself when it comes to faith, love, and idenтιтy. These conflicting sentiments often leave John baffled as to how he’s supposed to live. His mother expects a great deal from him — Jesus is watching his every move — and his girlfriend controls John’s every action as a means to prove his love for her.
Chris Merola’s Direction Refreshes The Coming-Of-Age Genre With Much-Needed Ingenuity
Merola’s trials and tribulations of puberty often come with various exhaustive ways to test one’s own faith and beliefs. Yet, through its skillful dissection of the impact of religion on adolescence, Lemonade Blessing remains an honest look at some of the many pressures facing teenagers today. At times, it’s uncomfortable to watch two teens progress beyond just the awkward kissing stage to more exploratory ones. But it’s also the reality of life during adolescence. The more we shame and disregard their curiosity, like John’s mother did with him, the more detrimental it becomes to their entire existence.
Lemonade Blessing contains both a raunchy comedic flair and dramatic affect that will remind you of your younger years.
The honesty and sincerity with which Merola directed his feature debut is the kind of refresh the coming-of-age genre desperately needed. The characters in Lemonade Blessing don’t just do things because they’re teenagers, or because they’re parents, or because they’ve been conveniently written to make bold marks. Instead, they feel, experience, and do things because it comes from genuineness, resulting in a watching experience that feels very real. If this is the kind of earnestness Merola aims to continue to bring to the film industry, it makes me excited to think about what he’ll come up with next.
