Big Beach Films, Low Spark Films,
Nick Robinson, Gabriel Basso, Moises Arias, Nick Offerman, Erin Moriarty, Craig Cackowski, Megan Mullally, Alison Brie, Mary Lynn Rajskub
Joe Toy (Nick Robinson) is a young man does not appreciate his father’s (Nick Offerman) attempts to control his life. They lost their mother a while ago, and Joe just can’t seem to get over it. He feels like Dad treats him like a child, and he’s unhappy that Dad is dating a new woman, and he has a hard time at school. One of the bright spots is his best friend Patrick (Gabriel Basso) and a girl he’s into at school, Kelly (Erin Moriarty). When things boil over, Joe, Patrick, and another friend Biaggio (Moises Arias) run away from home to a clearing out in the forest where they construct a house, and decide to live all on their own. What follows is a dramatic story of the trials of growing up and trying to find your way on your own.
This was a very strong, but touching coming of age story. Joe has all the problems an adolescent shouldn’t have to deal with, but far to many do these days. He thinks his Dad is a fool, and Dad thinks the same of him, so the relationship between them is very strained. His friendship is all he has, and as that disintegrates, he heads for rock bottom. This is a funny film, with a lot of good gags, and a very stunning visual film as well. The story is in the relationships between Parents and Kids, Boys and Girls, and best friends. Each of the relationships is very well investigated and developed beautifully. This an R rated film for some of the language and mature themes, but is not very bad for mid to older teens. It’s appropriate for the 16 and above crowd, especially if shared with parents. This could be a good film to start discussions on lots of subjects that trouble teens today. I really enjoyed this story, and though many of the things were tough to watch, it was still worthwhile. Very well done, this is a winner.
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