Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always

Distributed by Universal Pictures subsidiary Focus Features (named by The Hollywood Reporter as Distributor of the Year for Won’t You Be My Neighbor and BlacKkKlansman), the trailer for Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always goes for an independent feel.

Sharon Van Etten’s 2019 single “Seventeen” almost co-stars in this trailer as probably the most recognizable element, serving as a focus to draw potential audience goers in. The choice of music is more than deliberate, as Van Etten is set to co-star in the film itself. Having previous acted in The OA and the recent Twin Peaks revival, it’s not without precedent either—however, Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always presents a coalescence of these careers and a consolidation of media space, a cross-industry phenomenon that this blog discussed earlier.

The lyrics of “Seventeen” speak to a universal sense of longing for lost innocence that works well with the subject matter of the film; in it, Autumn (Sidney Flanigan) and her cousin Skylar (Talia Ryder) leave rural Pennsylvania on a literal and figurative journey to New York City in order to receive an abortion without need of parental consent or otherwise public knowledge.

The trailer begins with a two-chord vamp beneath expository dialogue between the co-stars. At 0:23, the sound of the ultrasound notably merges with the electronic aspects of the song, leading into the first lyrics and a quick flash of the title card indicating the film will make its debut at the Sundance film festival later in January. “Down beneath the ashes and the stone,” Van Etten sings, before dialogue quickly takes over about doubts surrounding motherhood. It’s a continual match of figurative symbolism and literal language as Van Etten’s vocal lines are dropped between segments of dialogue.

The piano gets moved up in the mix and becomes more present and insistent at 0:39 as the scenes move towards the journey to New York and tensions are introduced as the girls feel compelled to mislead their friends about the reason behind the trip. At 1:03 they run into money issues—this latest setback is met with wordless vocals on the part of Van Etten, as if there are no words left to describe the mounting situation.

Notice at 1:20 when the music pulls back for a moment and we are left to study the expressions on Autumn’s face—the pulsing beat beneath betraying a sense of intense inner pressure reflected on her contorted, expressive face. It’s very subtle, but also notice at 1:25 how we are hear her audible sniffle just before the music breaks out alongside the rushed passing of a train—a well-placed segue.

This last part of the trailer, with the song on full tilt, shows some more troubling and problematic scenes that match the energy of the song at this point. An off-screen voice of a doctor serves as an aural counterpoint behind the montage that unfolds, as she calmly explains that questions will be asked and the answers should come in the form of “never, rarely, sometimes, or always”—aurally providing an explainer for the origin of the film’s title in a dramatically effective fashion.

Again, it’s fairly clear given that Seventeen was performed on Ellen earlier this year as well as Sharon Van Etten’s inclusion as an actor that the use of the song not only fits the emotional feel of the trailer’s dramatic content, but it also matches the prospective demographic of the film. In terms of editing, it’s mostly a straight forward to and fro between the music and picture, but as mentioned, little details in editing aid the transitions, making the three-part structure (with clear transitions at 0:24 and 1:26) that much more effective as a result.

— Curtis Perry