It’s the moment you realize the rules that used to shape your world no longer fit.
Chris Merola’s debut feature film “Lemonade Blessing” explores the challenges of growing up in a rule-based religion.
Merola wrote the Twin Cities Film Fest-selected film during college in 2021. He wrote down childhood memories of attending Catholic school as a child of divorce. Eventually, these scenes were stitched together to create this uncomfortable yet wonderful film.
The film stars Jake Ryan, who plays John Stantucci, a high school freshman who is tossed into a new Catholic school by his very religious mother. John finds himself falling for Lilith, played by Skye Alyssa Friedman, who challenges John’s relationship with both God and her.
Growing up, I didn’t attend a Catholic school, but I was forced to be present most Sundays and Wednesdays at my very traditional Catholic church. I remember adults consistently telling me what to do and how to act based on religious traditions, and this film captures that perfectly.
John grows up living mostly with his mom, who teaches him every Catholic tradition and how to follow God “the correct way.” Just like most sheltered kids when they get a taste of other perspectives from school, he finally realizes what type of life he’s been living compared to others.
The awkward encounters John endures at school are exactly what most high schoolers go through. It was easy to tell that he hadn’t been around girls in a social sense prior to his first day. Ryan is perfect for this role not only because he is a full-grown adult who can pull off playing a 14-year-old, but also because his performance captures what most kids in this situation would do.
Friedman’s performance captures what it feels like to be trapped in a religion that you don’t believe in but to not have a choice due to your age. This is what made the whole movie because of how it affected John’s behavior towards Lilith and his mom.
Overall, the film highlights the struggles of a young teenage boy and how he perceives his masculinity compared to his friends.
When John asks Lilith on a date, he asks her because he wants to get to know her. On the other hand, his friends are focused on John having sex with Lilith more than anything else.
Yes, this emphasizes that teenagers are going to think about what they are told not to do more than what they should do. It also considers the idea of boys growing up in a society that dictates how they should act with their thoughts mainly controlled by others’ expectations.
All of these ideas make up each of the film’s depictions of beautiful yet difficult situations that truly shape who you become. It shows young people that growing up means separating the things you truly believe in from the things that you were told to.
Abby Madsen can be reached at mads3817@stthomas.edu.
