chip_p

Ruby and Rose's mother runs away to the shining lights of America hoping to become an actress. Set in Newfoundland, this movie follows the painful moments of these two girls and their father in the aftermath of this event. The girls' father Ray is a washed up hockey player who talks about the glowing hope of taking his daughters to Disneyland but cannot get a visa to the US because of a drug conviction. Ruby is in her late teens and is awakening sexually--in several directions. Ray struggles with this and also his own sex life in the wake of his wife's departure. A colorful cast of supporting actors and the starkness of life in a cold and hard Newfoundland coastal town with a deep intensity and surprises at every turn make this one that may go from festivals like Sundance to wider distribution.

The movie describes the life of a meter maid in Los Angeles. She lives with her disabled mother (played by Teri Garr). Beyond her mother, some other aspects of her life are also disabled. She has a positive outlook on life and tries to keep that as the story unfolds. Her relationship with her mother, her aunt, and a potential romantic interest at work weave together to make the story. This was a Sundance film and it was fairly well attended, but I am guessing the tone of the movie will make it hard for a wide release to happen. Cringing is very common throughout the movie as the characters choose paths or actions that most of us would steer clear of. At least a couple of the scenes could do with better editing as there were jumps that should not be in a big studio production.

7/10