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I found the movie, “Cusp, very poignant for several reasons. I found the older women in her life, her mother, her neighbor, and her teacher, demonstrating a wide spectrum of lack of personal power. She didn’t have the best female role models that would demonstrate personal power so it would be hard for her to learn by example.

Although Alice appeared to be interested in school and responsible for her homework, it seems every time she was working on her homework, her mother would tell her to “do something.� Her mother did not take an interest in Alice’s learning. As if, doing her homework was always less important than a chore she should be doing. Her mother verged on abusive with Alice during the scene in the kitchen over the dishes. Alice is limited by her mother’s expectations of her to do something other than her homework, which is important to her. Alice’s frustration is very apparent during that scene.

During Alice’s presentation to the class, the boys in the class were allowed to continue their rude behavior because the teacher took no control of the situation. Alice had worked hard on her project and she was treated with disrespect.

Alice’s relationship with the neighbor is also not conducive to learning to empower oneself. Alice also witnesses the neighbor’s male friend calling the neighbor, a beautiful thing; the neighbor allows herself to be objectified. The neighbor also puts makeup and clothing on Alice, because it is so important to be pretty.

I think the underlying message that Alice was learning was that it was not desirable to be smart, but you get your value only by your appearance. This message was clearly demonstrated by Alice’s neighbor, mother, and her peers and friends at school.