Sharkflei Your blood may run cold, but you now find yourself pinioned to the story.

PiraBit if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Mehdi Hoffman There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

Haven Kaycee It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

dj_bassett Jonathan Tucker is back from a six month rehab stint. His stepdad is angry, is mother is clueless, and he has relatives who (Ms. Jennifer Tilly, doing the 'maneater' variant of her persona) want to kill him for the life insurance policy. Overly earnest low-budgeter is so suffused with trying to be 'important' and 'meaningful' and saying something about addiction that it ceases to be entertaining in any way -- it is, in fact, something of a grind to sit through. Though it certainly means well. Cast is good and crew does the best with it's limited budget, giving everything a fairly good gritty blue-collar vibe. But really, the script signals all it's punches, with everyone speaking in a peculiar "writerly" arch kind of way. And it's positively righteous during the flashbacks at the rehab center -- no one doubts the sincerity of it all, but it just clunks about on screen. Not recommended.

jessiebeth This is a great movie--rent it on DVD as fast as you can....The acting is superb, and the writing is some of the best I've seen in years. Nothing rings false, which is rare in my experience. Jonathan Tucker, David Strathairn, and Jennifer Tilly all give true performances, and Ethan Embry is perfect. The setting--the locations--the music--all add to the atmosphere and pull you in till you can't look away. I want to see this movie again in the theaters, but I'll have to make do with the DVD for now... Never predictable, and achingly funny and sad at the same time. See this movie--if you have to go out in the freezing cold snow right now!!

langolier9 This is one of those little movies that you leave just shaking your head thinking, `this is probably the best movie playing in this theatre right now, too bad no one will ever get to see it.' Personally, I just happened by it when my girlfriend convinced me to go to an Independent Film Festival. This has got to be the most independent film I have ever seen, I even got to ask the director the question, `what are you going to do to get this movie out there.'Not all movies need a lot of money to tell a great and touching story. I was consumed by this tale of a 17-year-old boy struggling with alcohol addiction. His family is not just a bunch of stereotypes placed there to progress the story, they, along with everyone else, have the feeling of real people. You will not predict how this movie will end but, then again, you'll never get the chance to watch it.

zooeyfan I just saw this movie at the Malibu Film Festival and thought that it was quite wonderful. The story is about a young man named JJ who at 17 years old has been sent away to rehab after driving drunk and getting into an accident. After 6 months away, he returns home to not so open arms. While his mother is excited to see him, his step-father thinks he's a huge screw-up and won't let him live down his previous life as an alcoholic. Meanwhile, his aunt Dot has taken out a $75,000 life insurance policy on JJ and plans to lure him back to drugs and alcohol, and hopefully into an early grave before his 18th birthday. JJ has to struggle to stay sobber amongst his constantly boozing aunt, partying ex-girlfriend, and drug dealing best friend Bobby, whom he owes $3,500. While the story itself is really good, the main thing that makes this movie worth seeing it the terrific performances from everyone involved. Jonathan Tucker is fantastic as the emotionally troubled JJ, and convincingly portrays all the emotions of his character. The only other thing I've seen him in is The Deep End, and while I disliked that movie, his performance there was solid as well. I expect great things from him. And Jennifer Tilly is, of course, perfect as the seductive aunt Dot, who plans to kill JJ for half of his insurance money. The real star of this movie, however, is Ethan Embry, who gives the mostamazing performance I've seen out of him yet. I've been a fan since I saw All I Want For Christmas as the age of 9 or 10, and consider Empire Records one of my favorite movies, but this, this is the movie where he really shines. He plays JJ's drug dealing best friend Bobby, who is willing to break JJ's legs if he doesn't get the $3,500 owed to him by JJ's 18th birthday (just 16 days away). He convincingly portrays a scary, intimidating, just plain crazy guy, and I loved every second.