#Crucial21DbW: Lane 1974 directed by SJ Chiro

Freedom to be yourself and to be supported in your growth, especially in childhood, is one of the most crucial parts of life. And that, along with the time frame (captured in details like peasant blouses, long skirts, bell bottoms and Nixon’s resignation speech in the background of one scene) and my own dreams in the early seventies, makes the story of teenaged Lane and her family in 1974 crucial to me.

As a teenager in the seventies, I dreamed of living in the country in an intentional community with an organic garden, sunshine, wind and freedom. It is this dream that Lane’s mother, Hallelujah, has tried to live by bringing her kids to a commune in Northern California. But freedom without responsibility leads to chaos. She doesn’t have a vision for her family or their future.

Lane’s mother, Hallelujah, has chosen this life, accumulating three children along the way. This mother, who would be dysfunctional in any setting, ignores the needs of her children and alienates the folks at the commune. And so their journey begins and the disintegration of the family plays out, as Lane quietly tries to survive and protect her brother and sister.

Having set out from the commune with her friend Sky’s family, Lane enjoys friendship, a short stint at an alternative school, and glimpses of the outside world through the pages of a Sears catalog, but a near drowning during Hallelujah’s watch leaves Lane and her family on the side of the road. Sky and Lane are separated abruptly and forever.

The progression of losses is inexorable.

After a dismal visit with the maternal grandmother to ask for money, Hallelujah divests herself of her kids one by one. In a rare outburst, the usually stoic Lane runs screaming for her father to take her as he drives away with her brother.

Lane 1974 explores themes of perseverance and survival in the face of adversity. I cheered for Lane’s resourcefulness as she struck out on her own, in search of whatever support she could get. As the film ends, I hope her quiet spark will ignite and enable her to thrive and become her best self.