This family drama, set in the Appalachians, has many amusing moments and focuses on the determination of a determined teen girl to fill her parent's wishes. After the death of their mother and later their father, a family of four children must get together to learn to survive on their own in spite of neighbors who keep popping in to see her father whom they always claim is sick. There's the wealthy Harry Dean Stanton (the only name actor in the the cast) and the sister of the local store owner who is hypocritical and judgmental attitude has them keep referring to her as the old bat. The father passes away unexpectedly, and they must hide his death from everyone in town, but it's obvious that at some point, everything is going to come out. The second of the oldest is the one running things since the oldest daughter isn't very responsible, and with heart and humor, they learn to depend on each other while pulling one of the greatest cons ever heard of, as they are all under age and could be placed in county care legally.
I too kept calling out, "You old bat!" every time the crotchety old crone showed up to stir up trouble, thinking that she was doing right in God's eyes, and for the strong young teenage girl to take so much responsibility on herself shows an inner strength that the adults couldn't see past their haughty noses. The characters are presented as real people, not as cliched hicks. Julie Gholson genuinely real and heartfelt performance, one of the best I've ever seen of a non-professiomal actor, having the ability to make the audience laugh and cry as the situation calls for it. Surprised that this was an actual theatrical release, not a TV movie, well written and profound.
I too kept calling out, "You old bat!" every time the crotchety old crone showed up to stir up trouble, thinking that she was doing right in God's eyes, and for the strong young teenage girl to take so much responsibility on herself shows an inner strength that the adults couldn't see past their haughty noses. The characters are presented as real people, not as cliched hicks. Julie Gholson genuinely real and heartfelt performance, one of the best I've ever seen of a non-professiomal actor, having the ability to make the audience laugh and cry as the situation calls for it. Surprised that this was an actual theatrical release, not a TV movie, well written and profound.