An African-American child given up for adoption as a newborn, raised by two Jewish lesbians in Park Slope, Brooklyn, with a mixed-race older brother, and an Asian younger brother, Off and Running follows Klein-Cloud as she attempts to reconnect with her birth mother and her roots. Yet, despite this melange of cultures, her story boils down to: teenager rebels against parents; hits rock bottom; and ends up moving painfully, but hopefully forward into adulthood.
Part of this may have to do with Director Nicole Opper collaborating with Klein-Cloud on the script for this documentary. While there are some areas where the camera doesn't flinch - Klein-Cloud missing her adoptive parents' wedding in Canada comes to mind - there are others the doc skips right over, like a brushed-over mention of an abortion.
There are also a lot of clearly staged (or re-staged) scenes, in the vein of MTV's 'documentary' shows. It might make for a more dramatic viewing experience, but this lack of respect for the truth doesn't allow for the messiness of real life. Such an approach also requires its real life subjects to act as actors, and sadly, you can see some of them struggling with their 'lines.'
It's moments like these that take you out of Avery's story, which is a shame, because for the most part, it is an engaging one. Her supportive relationship with her older brother, her experiments with mixing Jewish and African-American culture at a dinner with friends, and her attempts to pull herself out of depression caused by her biological mother's lack of contact are all unique documentary moments well laid out. It's the more stilted, scripted moments that make the whole thing seem false, and take away from the thrust of the movie.
I haven't even mentioned where the title comes from: Throughout the movie, Klein-Cloud's focus is on running. She's always been good at it, but as her confidence falls, so does her skill at running. It's a pretty blunt theme to throw into the movie (she gets back up to speed by the end), but it's handled subtly by Opper, and works as a nice counterpoint to the family drama. All in all, Klein-Cloud's experience may be very, very specific, but Opper and company manage to make it feel like everyone's story - and that's a good thing.
