Oh I watched the loveliest film yesterday. And what better way to spend a Sunday than by reading books and watching films? I know there are a tonne of things I should have done, but you know what, I just needed a chill day.

I spent a fair few hours walking the moors of Dartmoor on Saturday (a few pics are up on my instagram…), and maybe it took a little out of me after I got back. Maybe I’m not used to the exercise – after all, I usually just take the dogs for an hour walk several times a week. Other than that, my exercise regime is very poor. I know I could do more, and I intend to, but for now I accept that I need to make a change and get fitter.

In the meantime, I do what anyone does on a Sunday. Chill with a good movie.

So, I checked out Disney+ (which I thoroughly recommend if you’re a Disney fan), and watched Stargirl.

Stargirl Review

The story begins with a young boy called Leo, who sadly loses his father and moves to a small town in Arizona, where nothing much happens at all. Leo is a little different at the start (though aren’t we all?), in the sense that he loves wearing his father’s tie everywhere he goes. Upon starting a new school, however, he is beaten down and his tie is slashed, and therein begins his determination to fit in at all costs.

Fast-forward several years, and he is a Junior in High School, playing trumpet for the School Marching Band, and generally just trying to keep a low profile. And then he meets her. Stargirl. Stargirl Carroway. This girl is everything Leo isn’t. She’s brave, bold, colourful… just plain different in comparison to everyone else at the school. She has her own brand of fashion and way of perceiving the world, and for that she is at first celebrated, and then detested after things she does. No spoilers here I’m afraid.

In any case, Leo is drawn to her, inspired by her outlook on life, and quickly they become an item. Stargirl is delightful and brimming with that magic that is life, and she begins to open up Leo’s eyes to the world about him, and who he really is. She gives him the confidence to stand in his own shoes, rising up despite his fears of being seen.

Of course, not all things last, but that’s not the point of this story. This story is all about that period of growing up, of beginning to learn about yourself and rising with it rather than pushing it down into the earth. This is a story of life and courage.

And maybe it’s not just for teenagers. I’m 34 right now, and still growing (albeit mentally, not physically anymore…). That’s the thing about life. The magic of it, as this story tells. We all start as seeds, and a whole world grows from within us, developing and seeking out the light, rising upwards and finding out just what we are inside. It’s a constant journey, and one not meant to be taken lightly.

And we will stumble on our way. We will fall. But the thing to do is never give up. When we fall it is in us to rise back up again. It merely takes time, and that’s the beauty of it, when you look back after months, or even years, to see how far you’ve come despite the trips and tribulations. So I implore you, when there are times you only see the darkness, know it never lasts. There’s light to be had even in the darkest of nights. 

This film is sweet and beautiful in its own way, giving across a message that we all know deep down.

That life itself is magic. We just have to open our eyes and see it for what it really is.

Kate @ Kandid Chronicles x