PLOT: A girl raised in Silicon Valley in the shadow of Steve Jobs’ successful return to Apple, and his huge influence on her imagination, her aspirations and relationships.
REVIEW: If there’s one type of film that I’ll always have a soft spot for, it’s coming-of-age movies. I love the concept of seeing a character grow up and come into their own, with all the struggles that life has to offer. The good and the bad. From Ladybird to Boyhood, these are some of my favorite films, so I’m always open to this kind of story. And Everything to Me takes a unique approach, with the lead obsessed with Steve Jobs and trying to model her life after him. And yes, that aspect is as strange as it sounds, but it allows for character growth that can be frustrating at times but ultimately satisfying.
Everything to Me is presented as an older Claudia (Victoria Pedretti) reading a book on her life, as she goes through her teen/tween years, seeking an identity that’s not her own. Her obsession with Steve Jobs is a bit strange to hear these days, but it shows the pedestal that these Silicon Valley guys were put on during this time. There are times where the 2000s setting feels a little off, like when Claudia’s dad mentions how he’s got everything set up for streaming, far before the days of streaming even existed. But I ultimately enjoyed the small references, even if it doesn’t feel like they fully take advantage of the era.
While Pendretti serves as our narrator, she really just bookends the story on camera, with the bulk of the film being put on Abigail Donaghy‘s shoulders. She does a really fantastic job and gets you to really feel for Claudia, despite her delusions of grandeur. She’s anchored by her relationships. There’s a bit of awkward acting with the tween versions, but that goes away with each bump up in age, and comes with more solid acting. There are a bit of growing pains in the first act, with the story not really finding its footing until it shifts to Claudia’s teen years in the second act.
Judy Greer and Rich Sommer play Claudia’s parents, who divorced during the course of the film. There’s a wonderful scene between the two that shows the degradation of their relationship, and it’s beautifully shot and presented. I always love it when there’s a realistic depiction of this kind of thing. However, it was quite ironic to see Claudia talking up Jobs’ influence on cancer research when he himself denied meds and instead went the holistic route, which ultimately cost him his life. Really wish that had been addressed, especially since her mom is fighting cancer. Utkarsh Ambudkar gets a bit of a spotlight as Claudia’s biology teacher, Mr. Shine, and provides some of the more emotional moments of the film.
Everything to Me really nails the awkwardness of youth. I was really taken back to my own childhood since the characters are damn near my exact age. It also does a great job of depicting the pressures of our teen years, with so much expected of these kids to know what they want from life. At one point, Teen Claudia goes on a class trip to Florence, Italy, and we get some absolutely beautiful shots of the city. Helps break up some of the more mundane city shots during the rest. The film goes a bit overboard with its title cards, appearing very frequently, to the point of absurdity. They’re clearly meant to represent the chapters of her book, but it feels a bit overboard, and the film could have easily done without them and not lost anything.
Everything to Me delivers a wonderful message about not trying to plot out your life, trying to be someone else, and being your own person. There’s a bit of unevenness within the storytelling, with some threads not really having a proper conclusion. But I’ll always appreciate a coming-of-age movie that makes me feel something, and this certainly managed that. Great performances and a non-typical lead help this one stand out, despite its act one issues.
EVERYTHING TO ME IS IN THEATERS ON SEPTEMBER 5TH, 2025.
