Out this week in cinemas is the coming-of-age story Sunny Dancer, which follows young Ivy (Bella Ramsey) as she heads to a camp for survivors of cancer. There, her parents hope she will to learn live again as she became disconnected from the world after almost dying.
Ramsey leads an intimate ensemble cast of young actors, and this merry band of misfits are a fun, if relatively predictable, gaggle of fools. Each has their own battle with cancer that has changed them. There is Ella (Ruby Stokes), Ivy’s sex-crazed roommate, roudy Ralph (Earl Cave) with his partner in crime Maisie (Jasmine Elcock), reserved Archie (Conrad Khan) and local heartthrob Jake (Daniel Quinn-Toye).
With camp president Patrick (Neil Patrick Harris) trying to help her come to terms with the new status quo in her life, Ivy hopefully has an unforgettable summer in store for her.
Cancer will be the least of your worries
On paper, Sunny Dancer is your run of the mill coming of age story. After all, this story has been told before: a young teen is sent somewhere they don’t want to go. They go through a life-affirming journey with like-minded peers, sprinkle in some romance, a soundtrack filled with the latest bops, bake in some tragedy, and you’ve got yourself a formulaic but charming crowdpleaser. And when you boil Sunny Dancer down to its base components, this is still the case. However, Sunny Dancer has several key elements that help it break away from the pack.
First, there is the cast. I adored the whole cast; everyone’s story is fascinating and brimming with character. In particular, Jake’s young Quinn-Toye has an incredible presence, and the film demands a lot from him, and he rises to the challenge. Ella is also a lot of fun, being a beacon of silliness that pairs well with Ivy’s snarkiness. Maisie and Ralph are an excellent double act, raising each other up as they roast each other mercilessly. Archie is a dark horse, coming across timid in the beginning of the film but, as the story unfolds, shows a steely charm.
A surprising highlight for me, though, was Ivy’s parents, Bob and Karen, played by James Norton and Jessica Gunning. For the limited time they are on screen, they bring a genuine grace and charm of two parents worried for the safety of their daughter who has withdrawn from her life. The rapport they have as a family is charming, and honestly, I wished they were in the film more.
All of this would be severely hampered though, if the lead wasn’t up to the task. Thankfully, Bella Ramsey is a powerhouse. They bring an emotional weight to every scene that helped me feel that Ivy is a young woman who has barely recovered and is still asking that question: “What now?” It’s a brilliant performance, and they continue to show that they are an incredible talent.
Perhaps the best part of the film, what makes it work so well, is that it avoids several of the cliches of the genre it is a part of, and this is thanks to the writing and direction of George Jacques. There is a lot of wit behind this world and the characters that inhabit it, and I loved it because of that. These are messy teens, and they’ve been messed up more than most through no fault of their own. It makes them relatable, and you root for them, even when they’re doing stupid things. That’s life though, and Sunny Dancer wants the audience to come away excited to live.
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