Our Song

"With Our Song, McKay has proved himself to be an indispensable filmmaker."--A. O. Scott, New York Times

Director Jim McKay returns to the Wexner Center to introduce his critically acclaimed new film, Our Song.

"Our Song is so unlike most Hollywood coming-of-age stories as to seem downright revolutionary. McKay refuses to make a big deal of his characters' circumstances, or to hang message boards around their necks. He respects them too much for that....It's hard to imagine a movie less self-indulgent...or one more completely absorbed in the complex humanity of its subject."--A. O. Scott, New York Times

Set in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, Our Song, (96 mins.) is an intimate and moving story of three inner-city girls counting down the last days of summer. They grapple with teen pregnancy, shifting romantic entanglements, and the usual ups and downs of living with parents and siblings. The story unfolds against the girls' daily practice sessions with real-life marching band the Jackie Robinson Steppers, the routine of which provides the girls with their most positive influence. Released by the Independent Film Channel, the film provides a showcase for the debut of the three extraordinary young actresses: Kerry Washington, Melissa Martinez, and Anna Simpson. As the L.A. Weekly notes, "the way McKay and his cast present the tale...is almost radical...[as] issues of race and class struggle are made potent by their matter-of-fact presentation."

Jim McKay (along with Michael Stipe) heads the production company C-Hundred Films. McKay presented their series of public service announcements, Direct Effect, at the Wexner Center in 1991. Among McKayÌs other recent productions is Cheryl Dunye's acclaimed new feature, Stranger Inside (2001).