Review by shakercoola

An American drama; A story about a drifter who shows a teenage runaway how to hop trains to reach her father in Los Angeles. The film has a theme about how the impulse of the youthful spirit attempts to override a painful past. It is light on melodrama, and the performances are subtle and understated. This is an independent film with studio production values that had something of a Beat Generation feel when released a decade later. Celia Milius and Michael Parks have interesting chemistry, though both appear older than their respective characters' ages, especially in the way they speak. Nevertheless, Parks' youthfulness is appealing and charismatic. Although it is not an original tale and there is not much character development, it does build tension quite well with a tender and quiet tone. By showing anonymous people attacking or impacting them along the way, authenticity was added to the story. Good cinematography accentuated the vulnerability of the two young people travelling across America. Nonetheless, there are some flaws. The character Daffy was a bit uneven and lacked centre at times. Her over-defensiveness hampered some of the sympathy she earned. As a 17-year-old, she seemed sheltered and timid, but her character shifts to being overly paternal when lecturing Fargo, and then she switches back to a naïve persona. Fargo remains an enigma, despite revelations about him.