Name: The Sky Is Everywhere
Genre: Drama, Romance, Music
Released: 2022-02-11T00:00:00+00:00
Cast: Grace Kaufman, Jacques Colimon, Cherry Jones, Jason Segel, Pico Alexander

The opening shot of The Sky Is Everywhere lingers on Grace Kaufman’s Lennie Walker, her fingers pressing into the bark of a redwood tree, as if trying to anchor herself to something solid in a world that has just lost its center. Josephine Decker’s adaptation of Jandy Nelson’s YA novel grapples with grief and first love through the lens of a teen musical prodigy, but it stumbles under the weight of its own whimsy.

The film’s strongest moments come when it commits to Lennie’s raw emotion. Kaufman delivers a performance that is often heartbreakingly authentic, particularly in scenes where Lennie’s grief manifests in quiet, intimate ways—like the way she scatters her sister Bailey’s poems around town or the vulnerability she shows with Toby (Pico Alexander). The chemistry between Kaufman and Jacques Colimon as Joe Fontaine crackles when they’re sharing music, their shared passion for it serving as a genuine connection. Cherry Jones, as Lennie’s grandmother Fiona, brings warmth and depth to her role, grounding the film in moments of genuine emotional resonance.

Visually, The Sky Is Everywhere is a treat. Decker’s cinematography—those camera twirls, zooms, and the towering redwoods—creates an aesthetically pleasing world that feels both expansive and claustrophobic. The film’s use of music, particularly in scenes where Lennie and Joe are creating together, elevates the emotional stakes and adds a layer of sensory richness.

But the film falters when it leans too heavily into sentimentality. The story structure feels unbalanced, with key plot points—like Lennie’s relationship with Toby—lacked depth and motivation. The emotional beats sometimes feel manipulative rather than earned, and the pacing stumbles in the second act as it juggles Lennie’s romantic entanglements without giving them enough weight. Additionally, some of the whimsical flourishes, like Lennie’s vivid imagination sequences, occasionally undercut the gravity of her grief.

The film also struggles with tone. At times, it veers too close to melodrama, particularly in its handling of Lennie’s relationships with Joe and Toby. The resolution of Lennie’s romantic dilemmas feels rushed, as if the film is eager to tie up loose ends without fully exploring the emotional fallout.

Ultimately, The Sky Is Everywhere is a film that has moments of genuine beauty and emotional truth, but it’s let down by its uneven pacing, structural imbalances, and occasional lapses into sentimentality.

Tags: dramas, Jason Segel, Grace Kaufman, Cherry Jones, Jacques Colimon, Josephine Decker