Sunny Dancer, screening at Berlinale, may be a story of cancer, survival, and remission. But, it’s also a joyous and memorable comedy, so packed with fabulous one-liners, dry humour, and teenage charm that it carries the unmistakable atmosphere of British classics ranging from Beautiful Thing to Gregory’s Girl.
Teenagers often feel invincible despite the struggles of coming of age; for many, mortality is discussed only occasionally and is rarely considered, as they burn brightly and live in the present rather than consider what the future may hold. But for young people living with a life-limiting condition or battling cancer, thoughts of mortality are unavoidable and the future uncertain, leading to a very different coming of age experience; one where very adult worries invade the cocoon of adolescence. This group of young people is rarely given an upbeat, positive voice in film, something George Jaques is keen to rectify with his sophomore picture, Sunny Dancer, a wickedly funny, tender, and joyous story of a young girl finding the world again ten months into her remission.
Ivy (Bella Ramsey) has bravely fought the cancer that threatened to end her young life, and is now in her tenth month of remission. But far from celebrating, Ivy feels lost, angry and alone, and her loving parents, the fabulous James Norton and Jessica Gunning, are worried. Attempting to navigate Ivy’s dramatic mood swings and her desire to be alone, they suggest Ivy attend a summer camp for kids recovering from cancer. Ivy really isn’t keen! However, in an attempt to make her parents happy and allay their fears, Ivy begrudgingly agrees to attend what she calls ‘Chemo camp’.
On arrival at a camp in the Scottish Highlands, which feels far too American for its own good, Ivy’s worst fears are realised. As the Camp President, Patrick (Neil Patrick Harris), introduces the new and returning campers to everything in store with bubbly, vibrant enthusiasm, Ivy isn’t impressed. As she stands listening, she can’t help but feel that the camp staff are nothing more than grief tourists.
Ivy’s spikiness does not go unnoticed by the returning older teens, many of whom are on their second or third summer stay. There’s the bubbly, always horny Ella (Ruby Stokes), the wild Ralph (Earl Cave), the quiet, calming Archie (Conrad Khan), the loving, caring Maisie (Jasmine Elcock), and the warm, welcoming Jake (Daniel Quinn Toye). From the outset, Ivy is intrigued by this band of survivors, but she keeps them at arm’s length until she finds herself bunking with Ella, and the group invite her in with open arms. But can Ivy also open her arms to them? And could the lovable Jake really be interested in her as more than just a friend?
George Jaques’ BFI-backed debut feature, Black Dog, followed two boys from different sides of the tracks as they travelled up the A1M on an unexpected road trip. As we followed the boys, the walls between them crumbled, and they discovered a shared fragility and pain they had both tried to hide. Black Dog was an assured feature debut, and one that clearly demonstrated Jaques’s talent. Sunny Dancer builds on the strengths of Black Dog, while once again exploring themes of unexpected connection, friendship, and healing. However, unlike Black Dog, it’s Jaques’s talent for sharp, beautifully timed, laugh-out-loud comedy that takes centre stage alongside Sunny Dancer’s more tender moments.
Sunny Dancer may be a story of cancer, survival, and remission. But, it’s also a joyous and memorable comedy, so packed with fabulous one-liners, dry humour, and teenage charm that it carries the unmistakable atmosphere of British classics ranging from Beautiful Thing to Gregory’s Girl. Performances are truly electric throughout, with Ramsey leading the charge alongside an equally electric ensemble of young performers, all of whom are nothing short of fabulous. Add to this Neil Patrick Harris’ loving, layered Camp President; Norton, Gunning, and the brilliant Josie Walker as the ‘cancer sniffing’ nurse Brenda; and Jaques’ Sunny Dancer joyously jumps from the screen and into your heart within the first act.
Putting aside the absurdity of the American-style camp, although I am sure there must be some like it in the United Kingdom somewhere, there is a weakness in this otherwise fantastic film: the final act. From the outset, Sunny Dancer is about a girl finding her way in the world, learning to live again, and opening her heart again. When Sunny Dancer sticks to this, it knocks the ball out of the park with Ramsey’s sublime performance alongside the equally great Toye, Khan, Elcock, Stokes and Cave. But the final act takes a detour that shifts the film’s emotional beat, and ultimately feels somewhat misplaced and rushed. Some will no doubt disagree with me, but it’s a finale that will ultimately divide audiences.
Despite this weakness, there’s no denying the comedic charm, emotional depth and brilliance of Jaques’s sophomore picture, as we follow a group of young people who thought they would never reach their eighteenth birthday, each living life to the full despite the fear they carry. As a unique, yet familiar, take on the typical coming-of-age drama, Sunny Dancer is a joy, and in a world of so much darkness, it is a joy we all need, as we are reminded that life is precious and love transformative.
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