Credited cast: | |||
Eve Lindley | ... |
Peter Pam
|
|
Richard Kind | ... |
Marty
|
|
Mark Consuelos | ... |
Vic
|
|
Katherine Reis | ... |
Sally
|
|
Odiseas Georgiadis | ... |
Ben
|
|
Judy Greer | ... |
Patti
|
|
Tim Markham | ... |
Older Guy
|
|
Richard Petrocelli | ... |
Frank
|
|
Osh Ghanimah | ... |
Pawn Shop Guy
|
|
Michael Cavadias | ... |
Doctor
|
|
Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
Aly Brier | ... |
High School Student
|
|
Lolita Foster | ... |
Ms. Simmons
|
|
Randy Gonzalez | ... |
Guy
|
|
Milly Guzman | ... |
AA Patron #1
|
|
Siobhan Fallon Hogan | ... |
Mrs. Frankfurt
(as Siobhan Fallon)
|
Thirteen-year-old Ruthie Carmichael and her mother, Rita teeter on the edge of poverty, despite Rita working multiple jobs. When their landlord kicks them out, Rita uses her looks to instantly reel in a boyfriend, who takes them in. Before long, Ruthie convinces her mother to leave and they head East in search of a better life. When money runs out and their car breaks down, they find themselves stranded in a small town called Fat River where their luck finally takes a turn. Rita lands a steady job waitressing at the local diner. With enough money to pay their bills, they rent a house and Fat River becomes the first place they call home. Peter Pam, a transgender waitress, becomes Ruthie's closest friend. Arlene, the no-nonsense head waitress, takes Rita under her wing. The townspeople become Ruthie and Rita's family. Into this quirky utopia comes smooth-talking mortgage broker Vick Ward, who entices Rita with a subprime loan. Almost as soon as Rita buys a house their fortunes change. ... Written by Happy_Evil_Dude
How many times have I seen the formula for this film? Answer: Too many times.
An alcoholic woman goes on the run with her bratty but more responsible teenage daughter in a crappy car. Along the way they get involved in escapades involving slimy boyfriends, petty shoplifting and a transsexual waitress. The mother's currency of choice is sex, and she utilises it relentlessly to try and pay for her motor repairs, keep her new job and house etc. while her petulant child just mopes around and complains. A likable pair, they ain't.
A shaggy dog story at heart with a few easily navigable pitfalls along the way, the movie struggles to hold your attention during it's far too drawn-out 100 minute runtime, finally even switching the personalities of the main duo near the end to create some artificial tension. This is done with absolutely no foreshadowing or fanfare, proving that the director Katie Holmes (who drove Tom Cruise to jump onto Oprah's sofa. As you do) cares a lot more about the predictable banalities of the plot than anything approaching character development.
I'm sure there are much better films of this ilk about. What are they? No idea. How's about you do your own homework, lazy? 5/10