Grow Up, Tony Phillips (2013)

Grow Up, Tony Phillips may take place on Halloween, but it has nothing to do with horror movies and everything to do with that crystalline moment in time everyone has when they realize life marches forward and they're the youngest they'll ever be. It's a coming-of-age story, but this isn't an indie drama about a boy becoming a man. It's a comedy about Tony Phillips, a guy who doesn't think childhood passions should have an expiration date. This won't be teenage life as viewed from an adult's nostalgia-tinted rear view mirror. This is in every sense a teen's story told from the perspective of actual teenagers, both behind and in front of the camera. That means no hyper-meta dialogue, no larger-than-life scenarios, and no over-the-top style. This is all straight from Emily's heart.