Deidra & Laney Rob a Train

Now that Hollywood has figured out that there's money to be made with independent films, we see a lot of them, and they cost a fortune. It's not like the old days.

Deidra & Laney Rob a Train is an old-fashioned independent - it didn't cost much by movie standards and many of the actors are unfamiliar to audiences.

The mother of three goes to prison, leaving her kids to fend for themselves. When they visit her in prison, it turns out she's having a blast not having to work. She's doing yoga, getting her nails done, and can choose between the kitchen OR the laundry. But the kids want to bail her out.

As the bills pile up, the older one, Deidra (Ashleigh Murray) decides to rob a train, as they live near the tracks. She drags her sister Laney (Rachel Crow) into it.

They actually are able to do it more than once and sell what they get. Then their estranged father gets into the act.

Entertaining film with some life lessons about self-esteem, bullying, and - oh, yes, stealing.

This is on Netflix streaming - check it out. You'll enjoy it.

When mom makes a scene and gets carted off to jail, her daughters need money to pay the bills. Including mom's bail money. So they hatch a plan to rob a train... which happens to run through their yard. They go through with it, and if we buy into some pretty unlikely events, and...they pull it off! While discussing self esteem issues. It's mostly silly, but there are some funny bits. The guidance counselor who just wants to escape this town. The high school students will do just anything to get into a college. The beauty contestants who trip each other to win. Life in a small town. It's silly, but not bad. Directed by sidney freeland. Story by shelby farrell. Stick around for a fun scene about halfway through the closing credits.

This is a weak and uneven script. One sister has some background, yet the other does not have anything. Than you realize the scriptwriter wanted badly to make points with the losers in the audience that will empathize with the character because of bullying. And maybe trick some real reviewers into dropping a word about social issues. The pre production is awfully done. There is a family. But the individuals don't look anything like each other. Only in post production we get the nice parts like the way the title is made in the opening sequence.

And the awful moments of deus ex machina! The two women forget about the state employee visiting, but the apparently uninformed ex dad is there, for the first time in the whole script and he also had the time to clean up. His character might be a slob, but he surely knows how to clean a house with children home alone. And he is always very clean. Yet he is an underachiever.

Anyway, the over 30 characters are clownish.

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My 5 might be a tad generous. But the film boasts some likable characters played well by the principals. But the premise? The script? All shot through with more plot holes than can be listed here. Some of the scenes are downright impossible, let alone believable. And the film is too long. The beauty pageant angle could have been jettisoned. Would have cut ten minutes off the run time and tightened up the film considerably.

Not a great film. Not even a good one. But, as I noted, the main characters are intriguing and even ingratiating. They make the film watchable.

Deidra & Laney Rob a Train is one heart-warming, entertaining film that one needs from time to time. I found myself rooting for the lead characters all the way.

The film is something of a feel- good vibe where not everything will feel plausible, but it's very easy to forgive because by then you'll be heavily invested in the characters. And the feel-good vibe also does not mean there aren't heavier issues handled with great care and heart. I was definitely tearing up in one scene. Ashleigh Murray is amazing as Deidra, the future Valedictorian who's left to take care of her sister and brother while their mom is in jail. She's very charismatic and was more than capable of carrying the film. I hope to see her in more good roles like this one. Rachel Crow, Danielle Nicolet and Sasheer Zamata were also such pleasures to watch in their respective roles. Missi Pyle also deserves a mention!