Tulsa | Teen Ink

Tulsa

February 26, 2024
By ava_hernke27 SILVER, Cannon Falls, Minnesota
ava_hernke27 SILVER, Cannon Falls, Minnesota
6 articles 0 photos 0 comments

Minor Spoilers.


Do you like movies based on a true story? Well, I do and one of my favorites is called Tulsa.  “Tulsa,” is a heartbreaking 2-hour long movie about a sassy, determined 9-year-old girl named Tulsa (played by Livi Birch). This show highlights the ups and downs in life. This essay is about Tulsa’s experiences, Tommy, and the impact he had on them.


Tulsa was put into foster care after her mom died in a motorcycle accident, and was left with a bible from her late mother. She takes it everywhere and calls it, “Mama’s Bible.” She is very faithful, andreads out of Mama’s bible every night. One time while reading, she found a picture of what Tulsa thinks is her father. Her determination had her mind committed to find him and that was the only place she would go.


Tulsa’a foster home didn’t work. She had a young foster brother Micheal. Their foster mom hit Micheal when he wet the bed. So Tulsa called the cops and wouldn’t let Micheal be treated like that. She then got taken to meet a social worker to find a new home, Ms. Jaylen (played by Nicole Marie Johnson). Tulsa showed Ms. Jaylen the photo in her mama’s bible. She was adamant that he was her dad. Ms. Jaylen recognized him. It was a man named Tommy Colston (played by Scott Pryor).


Tommy, Tulsa’s dad, is an ex-marine. He struggles with life, money, and addictions such as drugs, alcohol, and smoking. He was near death when he got a call from Ms. Jaylen. Saying she has his daughter. Tommy didn't know how he had a daughter and was in denial. He didn't want Tulsa at first. He didn’t know how had a daughter. If it wasn’t for Tulsa, his daughter that was a mystery for 9 years, Tommy Colston would be dead. 


She is determined to find her dad after her mom died. Nothing was going to stop her. The first time they saw each other Tulsa was hopeful and loved him immediately. She didn’t care if he wanted her or not. He was going to get her. Tulsa helped her dad in so many ways. His house was dirty, he smoked, and he was an alcoholic. She painted the walls, cleaned the house, threw away all the empty beers, hid, and threw away his cigarettes. She made him better, she didn’t give up, she gave him to someone to think about and love.


Tulsa has been through a lot, her mom died in a car accident when she was about 7 years old. She got put with a Social worker, who found her dad, Tommy. She walked into Tommy's home and saw all the positives even though it was full of beer bottles and cigarettes. The walls were a dirty white and the counters were gross. She looked at what she had and made the best of it. She got right to work.


One of my favorite parts of the movie is when Tulsa sits at her dad's desk and sees he needs some money from clients. So she called all of them, posing as an adult woman. They all came down and she told them to pay up. They all paid in cash and gave the money to JB. JB works for Tommy, and he was stealing from Tommy. Tulsa saw a problem, found a solution, and fixed it. That little girl set her mind to something and did it, with confidence and power. 


Yes, this movie is sad and happy all at the same time. It has ups and downs. Tulsa didn’t give up and Tommy's love for Tulsa and Ms. Jaylen grew. Towards the end of the movie, Tulsa gets hurt. Is she going to be ok? Well, you can find out for yourself. This movie was very insightful, fascinating, and heart-wrenching. I 100 percent recommend watching it.



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This article has 2 comments.


on Mar. 11 at 12:33 pm
avery2027 SILVER, Cannon Falls, Minnesota
7 articles 0 photos 7 comments
wow this is so good

on Mar. 11 at 11:39 am
miranda-m SILVER, Cannon Falls, Minnesota
5 articles 0 photos 7 comments
Sounds like a great movie, good writing Ava!