Written by contributor Simoun Marsada
Bryce and Juli sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G! Who would’ve thought that it’s been a decade since we heard this in Flipped and it reminded us of the cheesy but sweet push and pull between two growing kids in the 60s?
If you’re out of the loop, Flipped is this little gem of a movie from 2010 that made us swoon of an innocent love set in a backdrop of chicken coops, Basket Boy auctions, and pubescent awkwardness. Now, love is a strong word as these two characters are more of in a tug of war the entirety of the movie. However, they soon learned to deal with their differences and started a deep friendship by the end. While without a sequel or any clear implication, we’re pretty sure they’ve fallen in love and climbed their planted sycamore tree when it finally grew tall!
Flipped is based on the endearing book by Wendelin Van Draanen and is directed by Princess Bride helmer Rob Reiner. Its lead cast includes Madeline Carroll, Callan McAuliffe, Israel Broussard, and Stefanie Scott, which are now all very accomplished actors in their own right. The film follows Juli Baker and Bryce Loski who are attracted and indifferent, respectively, to each other, and their roles flipping (hence the title) throughout the runtime as they discover more of themselves and are influenced by the people around them.
There’s sure to be many fans of Flipped who are now grown adults still cringes and adores the movie simultaneously. Who could forget Bryce throwing Juli’s eggs just because he’s afraid of salmonella? How about the time Bryce didn’t campaign with Juli resulting in the cutting down of the sycamore tree? Apart from the brewing attraction between the two characters, Flipped also tackled prejudices and tensions between families of different classes that still resonate today. It also introduced us to the sensitive character that is Juli. She’s a headstrong girl that loves chickens and sycamore trees and was heartbroken when they were insulted and taken away. I still remember bawling my eyes out upon seeing Juli’s dad painting the ill-fated sycamore tree to remind her that even though a thing is gone, its beauty should never diminish from her memories. Bryce was introduced as an adverse character but this is only because of the environment he was growing in and he and Juli started on the wrong foot.
There are a lot of lessons in this teen movie than you might expect. It’s not all lovey-dovey, actually it’s almost devoid of that. Instead, it teaches us many things to help us better connect with people around us. For instance, it teaches us to stand up to what we believe in. Juli Baker stood by the sycamore tree to prevent it from being taken down, and by standing up for it we meant her spending hours up the tree, refusing to come down. It took a while for Bryce but he also learned to detach the influences of people around him and follow his heart. This is testified to when he told Garrett to back off when he scorned him by liking Juli.
Another thing the film teaches us is how important it is to apologise and own up to your mistakes. Bryce realised how terrible it is for him to insult Juli’s yard and accuse her of spreading diseases with her chicken’s eggs. It was a hard thing to go through but clearing things up also provides a leeway for a better relationship, just like how it did for Bryce and Juli.
The film can also be applauded for its focus on family, both the good and bad. Juli’s family, while not well off, are totally satisfied with themselves and don’t care what other people think. Juli also loved spending time with them as much as she could. It was very sweet when Juli and her dad visited her Uncle Daniel in the hospital and she saw how her parents were sacrificing for their sake.
Bryce’s family was a little problematic but it provided an interesting dynamic when they were meshed with Juli’s family. Chet, Bryce’s grandfather, manages to walk out of his slump, and find motivation when he helps Juli clean up their yard. And the awkward family dinner! It was painful for Bryce but it also exposed the pains his parents are going through and drove him to be a better person in the end.
Now, it’s been 10 years since the movie was released and if you don’t know, the cast did a mini Zoom reunion with the book’s author, and they talked about their experiences filming the movie and how it affected their careers. Madeline, who played Juli, remembered almost everything. She was the first to be cast and she detailed how she was the first person to arrive on the first day of auditions. Talk about destiny! Callan McAuliffe, who played Bryce, noted how people have been saying that his looks downgraded since his appearance in the movie. It doesn’t matter though! Even if your eyes did change, Juli will still see it as dazzling!
The reunion made us hopeful for a Flipped 2, which would be very, very good. But, honestly, with the ending as fulfilling as in the original, we think we’re fine.
While not a flawless movie, perhaps one should look at it the way Juli’s father sees things. That the sum is greater than its parts. As a whole, Flipped is a reminder of the exciting days of mooning over your first crush and how both nature and nurture could change us along the way.
If you haven’t seen Flipped in a while, then it’s time for a re-watch! Just like Juli and Bryce throughout the film, you might see things in a brand-new light.
