This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Rough, raw and utterly riveting, British director Andrea Arnold's "American Honey" is a fascinating and authentic look at a teen's journey into the dark heart of the American dream.
Arnold introduces us to Star (played by newcomer Sasha Lane) in a Dumpster in Muskogee, Okla., where she's digging for food for herself and two small children. The kids are not hers, but the children of the creepy guy with whom she lives and whose creepy touching she endures. (Is he a boyfriend? A stepfather? Arnold leaves the clues for us to interpret.)
Outside a grocery store, Star encounters a wild bunch of teens and 20-somethings, seemingly in the middle of a nonstop party. She follows them inside the store, where they follow the lead of the charismatic Jake (Shia LaBeouf). Star tells Jake she's 18, which may or may not be true.
Jake talks to Star, telling her that they travel from town to town throughout the Midwest, selling magazines door-to-door. He invites her to come with them. After some thought — and going to a bar to leave the kids with their mother, whom she judges to be slightly more responsible than their father — Star leaves Muskogee to join the crew.
On the road, Star learns that the others in Jake's crew have similar stories — running away from poverty and abuse where they lived, seeking a chance at adventure, having fun and making a little money. She also learns that Jake isn't the boss, but answers to Krystal (Riley Keough), who expects her charges to bring in a minimum level of sales every week, and has some rigid tactics to enforce those quotas.
At first, Star enjoys the freedom of this new group of friends, the prospect of quick money and the allure of Jake's charm. But as she deals with tricky situations — Bible-quoting housewives, good-ol'-boy businessmen and sex-starved oilfield workers — she finds she has to think fast and rely on her survival skills. She also learns that Jake is Krystal's personal boy-toy, and his attentions to Star may not be what they seem.
Arnold's look at this undercurrent of America was inspired by her own travels across the country — a journey that began at the Salt Lake City airport rental-car counter after her adaptation of "Wuthering Heights" screened at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. She also researched magazine sellers and rode along with a crew.
Those travels find their way into "American Honey" through Arnold's naturalistic approach. Filming with a minimal crew and her young cast, she captures the sexually charged freedom and reckless peril these young people revel in as members of this makeshift family.
The ensemble of unknown actors hold their own alongside veterans like LaBeouf and Keough. That's especially true of Lane, a Texas college student whom Arnold discovered in Florida at spring break, who exhibits a coltish grace and a quiet self-awareness.
"American Honey" is a revealing and kaleidoscopic look at a subculture of strivers and the sprawling, paradoxical nation that both nurtures and shuns them. It's a road trip that shows an America few people choose to see, but is lying before us at every freeway exit.
Twitter: @moviecricket
—
HHHhj
'American Honey'
A teen tries to escape her rough life with a raucous magazine-sales crew in Andrea Arnold's fascinating look at an American subculture.
Where • Broadway Centre Cinemas.
When • Opens Friday
Rating • R for strong sexual content, graphic nudity, language throughout, drug/alcohol abuse — all involving teens.
Running time • 163 minutes.