SLC PUNK!—A Review

A Stream of Consciousness through Anarchy and Mental Health in 1985 Salt Lake City

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133189/

Unreliable Narrator

In some stories, you don’t know that the MC is an unreliable narrator, you only find out at the end. Not in SLC Punk! Right from the start, we know that Stevie is an unreliable narrator, but we don’t care, because we’re along for the wild ride, and we want to see what his moment of reckoning is going to be.

(If you don’t understand the device of the unreliable narrator in film/writing, check this out)

https://beverlyboy.com/filmmaking/what-is-an-unreliable-narrator-in-film-examples-of-unreliable-narrators-in-movies/

I would put him in the category of elusive unreliable. He withholds information from the audience to let the story slowly unfold. In terms of types, I argue he’s both naïve (naif) and liar (self-preservationist). Naïve, because he believes that everyone is on the same journey as him in his quest to overthrow the system and inspire anarchy. We (and Stevie) watch as his social circle is slowly torn apart by their underlying mental health issues. He’s a liar, because he is lying to himself about his own motives and only discovers this by the end of the story.

The irony is that he is surrounded by other unreliable narrators:

• The Naif—Bob
• The Self-preservationist—his father*spoiler alert, his part of his moment of reckoning is recognizing he’s more like dad than he wants to admit)
• The Madman—Sean, Bob’s father, most of the cast)
• The embellisher (Mark)

He is telling their stories through his eyes. The anarchy, alcohol and drugs can only mask the underlying darkness for so long. The awakening is painful and harsh when Stevie sees things for what they are.

The story begins and ends with the shattering of a mirror and a life, but with all things, it is the journey in between. Look forward to our deeper discussion on tonight’s show.

Thanks for Reading!

About the Author

I joined the Navy at 18 to escape a small town in the Mojave Desert. A diagnosis of MS disrupted my dreams of becoming an astronaut or a super spy. I made limoncello from my lemons and became a super electrical engineer instead. My fascination with live high voltage drew me to Alaska. I came for the job, but stayed for the adventure. I enjoy blogging about my journey as a woman working in STEM, my experiences dealing with everything MS has handed me, and the wonder of the Alaska wilderness. My husband and I have undertaken the task of turning 30 acres of remote land into an off-grid retreat. I write stories about unique women in STEM who save the day and the hot guys who sometimes help along the way, as well as historical fiction about the Klondike Gold Rush. Teasers for these stories can be found on my website. I self-published my first horror novella, The Dark Land, on Amazon in May of 2020. I released the sequel, The Devil’s Valley, in May of 2021. Both stories are set in the wilderness of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, and draw on the Athabascan “Head Waters Peoples” legends of the Cet’ann, or “The People With Tails”.