THE STORY – John has been the perfect boy for his devout mom, Mary, since he left the womb. Freshly tossed into a private Catholic high school by his mother, he falls head over heels for a devious young girl named Lilith, a rebel with a hatred of her strict religious upbringing. She’s ready to push his morals and faith to the brink with a series of uncomfortable actions and increasingly sacrilegious dares, all in the name of her love.
THE CAST – Jake Ryan, Jeanine Serralles, Skye Alyssa Friedman, Miles J. Harvey, Michael Oloyede, Todd Gearhart & Keith William Richards
THE TEAM – Chris Merola (Director/Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 100 Minutes
Being a high schooler is hard enough, but the stakes are even harder when one is raised by an overly devout Catholic mother and has to deal with all-consuming worries about faith. In Chris Merola’s charming coming-of-age dramedy “Lemonade Blessing,” he frames overwhelming questions of religion, love, and identity through the eyes of an awkward teenage boy, immersing viewers into a perspective that’s quite accessible even for those who aren’t religious. In many ways, it’s the male equivalent to “Lady Bird,” especially with its Catholic school setting and increasingly fraught mother-son relationship. But instead of dreaming of getting out of Sacramento, this protagonist wants to find ways to avoid Eucharist training.
John (Jake Ryan) has always been a sweet angel in his mother Mary’s (Jeanine Serralles) eyes, but now that he’s getting older, she has to keep her eyes on him close – so much so that she stands outside his bathroom door to make sure he’s not doing anything sinful. Living with his mom after his parents’ divorce, John is sent to a private Catholic school, where she expects him to train for the Eucharist and fully devote himself to the Lord like how she’s always taught him. But that’s not always so easy for a developing child with many questions about life and girls, let alone something as complex as religion.
Though he may not be all-in on non-secular activities, someone who does intrigue him is classmate Lilith (Skye Alyssa Friedman), a devious, rebellious teen who doesn’t care for religion, authority figures, or how she appears to the world (very much like Lilith of religious texts). There’s an attraction between the two of them, especially when he learns that her parents are also “divorced,” but this love doesn’t come free. Lilith knows that John is a goody-two-shoes, and she takes advantage of him and his faith by pushing him to do uncomfortable actions, such as putting holy water in a dog’s water bowl and lighting a bible on fire, all to prove his love. Of course, because he’s such a good boy, he does it all and begins to change his relationships with his parents, friends, and himself. With Ryan’s incredibly sweet portrayal of this awkward teen boy, all you want to do is hug him and help him find a way out.
One of the standouts of Merola’s feature directorial debut is how it shows those awkward teenage moments we want to forget about. From sloppy first kisses to not knowing exactly how to be intimate with someone, he shows it all in full glory (I dare you not to cringe as you watch John and Lilith make out awkwardly). There are also overly confident conversations from John’s friends Angelo (Miles J. Harvey), Gary (James Freedson-Jackson), and Connor (Alexander Jameson) about sex and what they would do with girls, as if they’ve ever tried any of those things, let alone spoken to a girl without sweating. It all feels so pure and true to that age group, all due to Merola’s script, which evokes the nostalgic feelings similarly found in Greta Gerwig’s “Lady Bird” and Bo Burnham’s “Eighth Grade” (which Ryan also starred in). Enough also can’t be said about Ryan and Friedman’s wonderful portrayals of these two polar opposites. Ryan has proven to have leading man potential in recent projects, and he carries the film so confidently, even as his character loses sight of his morals and values along the way. Friedman, too, is stellar, and you can tell she enjoys pushing everyone’s buttons. Her scene with Serralles – who also does a fantastic job of being the most ridiculous and frustrating parent ever – in which she confronts her about her sinful divorce is especially juicy.
But just because this film centers around teenagers doesn’t mean it’s not dealing with heavy topics. Religion is a difficult subject matter for many, and it’s pushed people away for several reasons. Kids aren’t going to fully understand its many complexities, but Merola finds the right way to show how it impacts them. He spotlights how young women are treated versus their male counterparts – Lilith’s father makes her change her outfit because she is wearing a tank top, and one teacher tells his male students the importance of marrying a virgin woman and not a slut. It all goes to John’s head as he begins to worry about all the boys that Lilith has claimed to kiss. He even pesters his father about not attending church or repenting his sins. Through it all, John begins questioning his faith and hates all the “rules” he’s expected to follow. Any teen would, and these elements only further make Merola’s script relatable and feel so true to life. There are some areas that could have been explored more, however, such as his father’s avoidance of religion and Lilith’s perspective/the revelation that she likes to tell John what to do because it’s the only part of life that she can control, which would have only made the story more complete.
Overall, “Lemonade Blessing” is a strong directorial debut from Merola packed with much charm even as it smartly tackles tough subject matters. With a very personal story elevated by a talented cast, he’s off on the right foot when it comes to bringing something refreshing and authentic to audiences. With this level of care and thought put into his first feature, it’s exciting to think of the other gems we might get from Merola in the future.
