Tru Confessions Movie (2002)

Before Shia LaBeouf became a household name, he starred in a nice little Disney movie called Tru Confessions. Yes, the spelling is correct. It is about a girl, Tru, and her twin brother Eddie (LeBeouf). It seems like a pretty normal family on the surface. The father is a brain surgeon, the mother is a homemaker, and Tru is an average teenage girl with all her hopes and dreams and drama. The twist is that Eddie has a mental disability.

The main story follows Tru as she tries to cope with the stressful teenage years, but the added difficulty of having a handicapped brother. The movie hints at her changing personality as she moves into the midst of her teenage struggles and away from her consoling sister act. The audience sees her transformation into a caring and supportive sister into a frustrated and neglected teen that starts to resent her brother's personal limitations. All of this play into the overall plot as Tru discovers that a local news station is hosting a contest for kids. Tru loves filmography and she sees an opportunity to turn her brother's condition into a life-changing news segment.

As you probably guessed, the story is emotional and thought-provoking. It is a story that is not used very often in Hollywood and it is surprising to see how it played out. Although the acting and dialogue might be a little corny and awkward at times, the core plot is simply stunning. Nothing else seems to even come close to matching the emotional and social dilemmas that Tru Confessions emphasizes. Even more important is the sequence of events that change Tru into a melodramatic teenager into a mature and loving person.

The basic elements of filmography are perfected in the movie. Sound and music is spot on, the lighting is harmonious with the location, and the editing is exactly what audiences expect. The acting is a little strange. Tru is the primary protagonist in the film, but actress Clara Bryant gives the character a forced, and somewhat dry, performance. Bryant was nominated for many awards for her part, but she could have sculpted her acting a little better in this particular film. Viewers are continuously reminded that they are watching a movie whenever her character has to throw a temper-tantrum. LeBeouf, on the other hand, is seriously underappreciated in this film. Tru Confessions being one of his earlier works, he displays one of the most convincing personas that films of this genre can capture. The mixed difficulty of playing a mentally handicapped boy, a teenager, and a movie character seems like an easy act when LeBeouf plays the role of Eddie so fluidly. Regardless of performance, the actors chosen for these parts fit the characters very well.

The movie is certainly a family movie. Disney made a very good choice in keeping the film in a PG-rated atmosphere. This is a movie that everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy if not for the enlightening story, but the enjoyable piece of entertainment. Movies like Tru Confessions are few and far between, but this is a movie that most definitely needs to be experienced. Movie fanatics and entertainment enthusiasts alike should go out and watch this movie for the life-changing messages it encompasses.