Permanent 2017

Set in 1982 in a small town in Virginia, the story centers on Aurelie Kira McLean, the new girl who has recently moved from Washington, D.C., to live with her parents, Jim Rainn Wilson and Jeanne Patricia Arquette. Jim is a former steward for Air Force One who is pursuing a medical degree on a college scholarship, while Jeanne has become the primary breadwinner, working at the local chicken shack. The family’s attempt to settle into a new normal is marked by a push-and-pull between fitting in and staying true to themselves. Aurelie longs to blend with the town’s seen-and-seen as a perfect image, the “Farrah Fawcett” types, and asks her parents for a permanent to help her look the part. Her plea eventually wins a cautious concession, and they take her to a local beauty school for a discounted hair processing session.

The resulting look backfires in a big way, leaving Aurelie looking more like a vintage cartoon than the glamorous ideal she sought. At school, she becomes an easy target, subjected to constant teasing from her peers. In a bid to feel included, she reaches out to Lydia Nena Daniels, the town’s only Black student, but the initial attempt to forge a friendship is rebuffed. Undeterred, Aurelie doubles down on boldness, over-immersing herself in class to the point of distraction, which only fuels the harassment from a tight-knit group of popular girls. Seeking a way to defend herself, she signs up for karate lessons, hoping discipline might restore her sense of control.

A quiet line of hope appears when Aurelie spots a sign at another beauty shop offering permanent fixes for $60, a potential shortcut to the look she wants. The school soon hosts a poetry-reading contest with a top prize of $75, and Aurelie enters along with Lydia. Lydia, initially hesitant, finds herself unsteady during the performance, reciting the lyrics to “Feeling Good” instead of her chosen poem. The contest becomes a turning point when the popular girls confront Aurelie; using her karate training, Aurelie stands her ground and defeats the taunting group. Returning to the stage, she witnesses Lydia being announced as the winner, a moment that shifts the day’s energy. In a gesture of solidarity, Lydia offers Aurelie the money so she can fix her hair, but Aurelie declines, revealing a growing shift in her priorities and self-acceptance.

Jim’s storyline runs parallel to the social upheaval at home. His college counselor has insisted he must take a swimming class to maintain his scholarship, but he remains hesitant about exposing himself without his hairpiece. He repeatedly returns to the pool, unable to submerge his head or face his insecurities without the prosthetic. Meanwhile, Jeanne wrestling with a sense of unfulfillment in her new life finds herself drawn to their neighbor, Jerry. He presents himself as an artistic mentor and family counselor, yet his comments about Jeanne’s body betray a more predatory interest. His influence unsettles the family dynamic and adds another layer of tension to their already fragile relationship.

Throughout these threads, Jim’s devotion to Jeanne remains a quiet bedrock, and a family counseling session offers a moment of honesty as Jim reaffirms his love and commitment. The film culminates in a poignant scene at the school pool where the unspoken fractures of the family and Aurelie’s struggles with belonging converge. In a final act of release and renewal, Jim climbs the high dive, sheds his hairpiece, and takes a courageous dive into the water, signaling a willingness to confront vulnerability and embrace authenticity alongside his wife and stepdaughter.

• The setting and characters explore themes of identity, belonging, and the lengths people go to fit in or stand apart, all filtered through a small-town lens that never shies away from the messiness of family life.

• The interplay between appearance and reality is a constant undercurrent, from Aurelie’s beauty quest to Jim’s struggle with his hairpiece, underscoring how external images can mask deeper truths.

• The narrative preserves a steady, observant tone, presenting each character’s desires and flaws with empathy while avoiding melodrama, and it invites the audience to reflect on what it means to redefine oneself in the face of social pressure.