Finding Conversation, Friendship, and Healing in "Grapefruit"

Everything is a work in progress.

“Grapefruit” is a film directed by Chase Juliet. Travis, a young man, is forced to move back into his childhood home with his newly sober mother, Evelyn. As tensions peak, Travis meets Billie, an eccentric woman at the Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

Every day, people are going through trauma that nobody knows about. “Grapefruit” is a compelling movie about relationships, embracing vulnerability, and accepting past mistakes. It’s a movie that helps audiences feel less alone and encourages them to reach out.

The film stars Chase Joliet (Travis), Rosanne Arquette (Evelyn), and Steph Barkley (Billie). Acting is profound for everyone, bringing significant depth and range. They studied several invisible layers of these characters’ journeys.

Travis and Evelyn’s mother-son relationship is integral to the story. They are complete opposites, with Travis choosing silence and Evelyn constantly talking or doing something. They avoid the topic to see if they can rekindle, but they need to open doors to the past.

Billie is an interesting character, played with a strong performance by Steph Barkley. Now I want to find more movies with her. This character could have had her own movie. I admit that I was annoyed by Billie at first, but then I started to understand her more. Billie is a challenging and unpredictable puzzle who wants someone to figure her out.

Relationships are a key theme in “Grapefruit,” and not just between Evelyn and Travis. Travis and Billie have several meetings, starting as random and weird, until they become eye-opening. Even I gasped when Billie ripped a page from a library book. People come together for a reason.

With all the romantic affairs in the media lately, I am so glad that Travis and Billie’s friendship is kept platonic. From the beginning, Joliet said he didn’t want it to be a romance. Not all friendships between men and women (or anyone) have to turn into a romance.

Troy Blendell, Bobby Soto, Johnno Wilson, Ashley Rae Spillers, Craig Mitchel Vincent, and Alexandra Barretto play supporting characters who play a role in the story. Travis’s past causes several whispers and opinions.

Not only does he act, but Chase Joliet also wrote and directed “Grapefruit.” Juliet’s feature debut was personal work, inspired by a play he wrote. Addiction is a topic that Joliet has had personal experience with. The creative ‘what if’ lightbulb went off in his mind, and he wrote about the idea of what if he ever moved back in with his mother.

The film was shot in 14 days, with 14 people involved. Joliet had intricate ideas to reflect stress and lower barriers with cinematographer Justin Hamilton. Joliet is a firm believer that silence speaks louder than words. There are a lot of close-ups of the characters thinking.

And when they’re not thinking, the editing is manic. One of my favorite moments is Travis and Evelyn fighting to get a significant object unstuck. A second after all the yelling and rapid camera movements, they are sitting in silence. Joliet said that this scene was the toughest because of the fast rhythm of the camera work.

As Joliet describes the title, this is a film about letting go. People are always working on themselves. The best message is to keep taking your own pathway and avoid what others think. They’re not walking on the same pathway as you.

“Grapefruit” concludes with a compelling monologue. Watching this movie made me feel hopeful. The film has some thematic elements depicting alcohol and drug use and crass language, but it’s a well-directed film with a powerful story.