I found this after literally googling fall movies on Netflix in October and reading here that this would be the best movie you haven't seen on Netflix.
I'm a sucker for the types of movies where a young girl is going into another new unexpected but hopefully good stage in her life. I was set up to like it- the director did Fish Tank- and Shia LaBoeuf I consider an incredible actor even back in his Even Stevens days on Disney.
The air of desperation loomed all 3 hours- the stakes for just staying alive were so high that you can't help but keep watching to see if this young Star will be okay.
She starts the film in a dumpster, rooting around for food with two half-siblings. I was less compelled by this or the plot device that makes her escape from home possible- for me what stuck in my mind was the love story. I remember her seeing Shia in K-mart- one of the most romantic sexy meet-cutes despite the fluorescent lighting and various other younger kids they're both handling at the moment. Being pulled by Jake into this adventure across the country- where a part of her knows she might not be special (he literally says 'everybody loves me' when pitching their connection and why she should get into an unmarked van with him)- but she isn't just another runaway girl. She's a grounding agent for the others in her old life, taking care of others and being a survivor no matter what the circumstance. She might be the only person who doesn't lie. Jake is an aging older runaway who won't be able to use his 'buy these magazines so I can go to college' sales pitch forever- I think Jake (Shia) realizes this could be firmer ground than the cycle of exploitation he's been depending on. Later on he finally shows everyone how crazy he is over her- their boss says 'you think you're special?' But to have to say that- it's clear- she is. I love their love story. I think at the end they purposely don't have them say it into the camera that the expiration date to this adventure is coming- but there's no other reason for Jake to come back (he's been saving up enough to leave for a while) except to be with Star.
