THE MAN IN THE MOON

BY CHRISTOPHER HASKELL
OCTOBER 19, 2013

“The Man In The Moon” is a coming of age classic, if only for the brilliant performance that Reese Witherspoon pulls off in her introduction showing at the young age of 15. Dealing with common young teen issues, Dani (Witherspoon) goes from a tomboy who swims naked in a nearby pond to a young girl with a crush on the new neighbor boy. You would be wholly justified in comparing this film with the fellow coming-of-age classic “My Girl,” which deals with more significant issues like tragic loss and the interior of a family system in their respected eras. Robert Mulligan produces an extraordinarily memorable and highly emotional drama that has stuck with me throughout my life and brings back fond memories of growing through my teenage years. I may not have been a little tomboy, but the emotional growth is all the same.