Every Day

Angourie Rice appears as Rhiannon, a sweet 16-year-old high school girl who falls in love with someone that can only be identified as a spirit. It calls itself “A,” and “A” wakes up every day in a different teen’s body. Yesterday “A” was a girl, today “A” might be a boy, and tomorrow—who knows? “A” possesses the person and lives his or her life for 24 hours, and, as “A” says, “tries not to mess anything up for them.” (Sort of like “always leave a place better than when you found it.”)

The complication comes in when “A” confesses to Rhiannon that it loves her. But how will they spend a life together? Will “A” wake up in a man’s body tomorrow, or a woman’s? This is a conundrum facing “A” and Rhiannon, who want to always be together, but how? Some of the people “A” possesses, and who Rhiannon interacts with, are teen boys, girls, gay, gender-confused, and straight. But always she must keep in mind that it is really not Justin or Kelsea, James, George, or Vic that she is speaking with, but it is the kind and thoughtful “A” who is controlling that person’s mind and body.

The film shows restraint in that there is little nudity or blatant sexual situations, (though sex is implied twice) and there are no “F” bombs. However, there is plenty of crude language, especially from Rhiannon’s older potty-mouth sister, i.e. “b*lls”, “a*s, sh*t, God d*mn, p*ss, etc. And there are crude references from guys such as “Are you on your period or what?” and “Slut.”

Homeschooling is presented in a negative light, “It feels like a prison,” and the homeschool mom comes across in an unfavorable way.

Rhiannon kisses “A” several times in the film, both when “A” shows up as a girl and as a boy. A couple of characters identify themselves as Gay, while homosexuality is implied in two other characters. “Every Day” depicts homosexuality as normal, making no effort to hide it or to present it as an undesirable, or sinful, lifestyle choice.

“Every Day” is an imaginative fantasy film about diverse teenagers, living in confusing times—depicting characters who greatly need Biblical answers.

From the viewpoint of a church youth leader, this is fertile ground for discussions about…

• sin—discerning right and wrong
• avoiding potentially tempting sexual situations (Rhiannon is frequently alone with “A” when it possesses a boy’s body)
• homosexuality
• gender confusion
• respecting parents (Rhiannon’s relationships with both her parents are strained)
• compassion for family members (Rhiannon is angry with her father for not being a good provider, which makes it necessary for her mom to spend so much time working long hours away from the family to support them)
• use of crude language and swearing (many times Rhiannon exclaims “Oh my G*d!”)
• what the Bible would say about cutting classes (which Rhiannon does frequently in order to be with “A”)
• suicide (“A” possesses the body of a troubled girl who is planning to take her life.)
• judging people (The Bible does not say we are never to judge, but we are to make judgment calls based on godly righteous judgment.)
• possession by a spirit

“Every Day” is adapted from a 2012 young-adult novel by David Levithan, who won two Lambda Literary Awards (Lammys) in 2003 and 2006. The Lammys celebrate the best lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender books of the year. Levithan is also the founding editor of PUSH, known for publishing “edgy” material for young adults.

• Violence: Minor
• Profane language: Moderate
• Vulgar/Crude language: Moderate
• Nudity: None— • Girl taking shower with “A” occupying her body and “A” looking down at her nude body (not explicit) • Girl in bra • Shirtless male • Boy and girl in bad partially unclothed (sex implied)
• Sex: Moderate— • Repeated kissing (boy and girl, girl and girl) • Boy asks girl to come over to his house to fool around • Boy and girl in bed together • Boy tells Rhiannon she’s looking sexy and kisses her, and invites her to his place to fool around. When she turns him down, he gets angry and asks if she is having her period again. She responds that she already had it, “Congratulations, you’re not a father.” • “You know what else has antioxidants? Your balls.” • You look pretty today says “A” (inhabiting Rhiannon), Jolene responds, “So do your balls.” • Boy says he’s “a butt guy” • Etc.

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