By Jan Hamilton
Sadie (Sophia Mitri Schloss) seems like a normal kid, she lives in a trailer park with her mom, a nurse, while her dad is overseas in the army. He writes to her every two weeks, but we learn he hasn’t communicated with the mom, Rae, (Melanie Lynskey) in three years. Sadie thinks everything will go back to normal when he comes home, but he keeps extending his tour. Rae has been seeing Bradley, (Tony Hale) Sadie’s vice principal, much to Sadie’s displeasure, but they are only friends.
Sadie and Francis, a younger gentle boy (Keith L. Williams) walk to school each day, Francis gets bullied, and Sadie takes extreme measures to fix it, only making matters worse. Bradley tries to talk to Rae about Sadie’s extreme behavior, but between her job and the affair she has just started with a new neighbor Cyrus (John Gallagher Jr.), Sadie’s problems slip through the cracks. When Sadie’s solution to the new man results in tragedy, the audience must try to figure out if Sadie can be saved or if she is a lost cause.
Sophia Mitri Schloss, who was so good in last year’s SXSW entry Lane 1974, is wonderful in the title role here. She brings a focus and determination to the role. This is an engrossing drama about loss and love,it is not a typical story and doesn’t offer any simple solutions.
Credits:
Director: Megan Griffiths
Executive Producer: Eliza Shelden
Producer: Lacey Leavitt, Jennessa West
Screenwriter: Megan Griffiths
Cinematographer: TJ Williams, Jr.
Editor: Celia Beasley
Production Designer: Ben Blankenship
Sound Designer: Bad Animals
Music: Mike McCready
Principal Cast: Sophia Mitri Schloss ,
Melanie Lynskey, John Gallagher Jr.,
Danielle Brooks, Tony Hale, Keith L.
Williams, Tee Dennard
Additional Credits:
Costume Designer: Rebecca Luke,
Casting Director: Amey Rene,
Co-Producer: Jonathan Caso,
Associate Producers: Sue Corcoran,
Aron Michael Thompson