Girl Flu

A lively, witty mother-daughter coming-of-age story, Girl Flu centers on precocious 12-year-old Bird and her single mom Jenny, whose cheerful prolonged adolescence makes bookish Bird the mature one in the family. When Bird gets her first period very publicly at a school event, it throws both mom and daughter into a relatable and often hilarious tailspin. While Jenny reels from the realization that she's old enough to have a child entering puberty, Bird tries to cope through uncharacteristic rebellion: getting in a fistfight, smoking her mom's pot, and shoplifting tampons. And just wait until they get the fire department involved. Writer/director Dorie Barton's directorial debut is a fresh, funny, and compassionate film that jettisons the taboo that too often surrounds this particular rite of passage. (Mill Valley Film Festival)