source: Angels in Stardust

A creative & smart 16 year-old girl (AJ Michalka) comes-of-age while living in a trailer park built on the site of a defunct drive-in movie theater in Central/West Texas. She finds solace in her (imaginary?) relationship with a mystical cowboy (Billy Burke) while dealing with the challenges of her man-hungry single mother (Alicia Silverstone) and her troubled little brother, who has an affinity for a Native neighbor, Tenkill (Michael Spears). Released in 2014, this was director William Robert Carey's first-and-only film based on his 2013 novel "Jesus in Cowboy Boots," which was the movie's original title. It's an offbeat, mundane and gritty drama with one fantasy component; it's definitely not a comedy as advertised elsewhere. Similar quirky films that come to mind include "Michael" (1996), "Dreamland" (2006), "Don't Come Knocking" (2005), "Mud" (2012) and "Joe" (2013). It has the fantasy element of "Michael," the trailer-in-the-desert setting of "Dreamland" and the ugly redneck drama of the other three, as well as the indie artiness of "Don't Come Knocking." It lacks the great amusement and positivity of "Michael," but it's arguably on par with the others, just different. Silverstone was a hot item in the mid/late 90s and early 2000s, but she has since sorta faded away. The last movie I remember her in was from a decade earlier, "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed" (2004). Here she was 37 during shooting playing a 31 year-old woman (who looks older) desperate to settle down with a man before she's over-the-hill. She had a couple of kids during those ten years and so put on a little noticeable weight; yet she's still a stunning babe, just with more "mileage," as it's put in the movie. The film runs 1 hour, 39 minutes and was shot in Agua Dulce & Santa Clarita, California. GRADE: B-/C+

Set along the Texas and Oklahoma border, but filmed in California. I watched it on Netflix streaming movies. This unusual community mainly of various types of trailers in on an old drive in theater site, had been called the "Stardust" but the "S" is long missing, so the residents call their community "Tardust." Alicia Silverstone, nearing 40 but playing a 32-yr-old single mom with no parenting skills at all, and always looking for her sugar daddy. Her name is just Tammy. Her high school daughter is AJ Michalka as Vallie Sue, arguably the only decent, well-adjusted character in the whole story. She has a talent for writing and is encouraged by her teacher, but all Tammy does is try to discourage her, telling her that her future is to find a guy. Vallie Sue has a vivid imagination and she sees Billy Burke, who in another place is a TV star, as simply Cowboy on the dilapidated old drive in screen. He isn't really there of course but they have conversations. Cowboy is the only one she has to talk to. The other key character is Michael Spears, real Lakota, as local Indian Tenkill. Through most of the story we don't know if he is trustworthy but all that is settled near the end. A 'different' movie, my wife abandoned it after 15 minutes but I enjoyed it for the story. Tammy is a very, very annoying character but you know what, there really are some single mothers like that in rural settings. SPOILERS: Vallie Sue, looking for her little brother, is being bothered at night by two local bad guy drunks, threatening to rape her, when Tenkill shows up. He basically tells them if they don't leave her alone then they'd better kill him otherwise he would go after them, their family, and anyone else they knew. It turns out Tenkill is the father of her little brother, and he also knows a woman in Oklahoma City that will take Vallie Sue in as a boarded for her to go to a better school there, while Tenkill will take care of her brother.

"Anything's possible in Tardust." Vallie Sue (Michalka) is a small town girl with normal problems like everyone else. Her mother Tammy (Silverstone) regularly leaves her and her brother alone while she tries to find a new husband. Her brother hangs around an Indian who everyone says is dangerous. She has a few friends but her best friend is an imaginary cowboy who lives on the old drive-in screen in the town she lives in. In the middle of all this Valley does all she can to find herself and break free of the town to follow her own dreams. Going into this I was expecting a religious themed movie. If you are thinking that as well you will be disappointed. While there is a few moments of that this is not a religious movie at all. That said the movie is good and entertaining and I did end up liking it but it is not a happy movie. The only real complaint I have with this is that they had too many stories going on at once and not all of them got resolved. Not just minor ones but major ideas that get you interested but leave you hanging. When you watch you will see what I mean. Other then that though the movie is worth seeing. Overall, bittersweet and worth checking out but too many story lines are left open and it left the movie feeling unfinished. I give this a B.

I was pleasantly surprised by this movie, there is a lot of story here, and the acting is really good; especially since the movie begins with no real focus, or direction. Within the first 30 minutes it is not a great movie, and the character development seems forced, but once they get past that the story is allowed to open up, and become more real. Some of the story is meant to feel ethereal, but there is no heavy hand pushing any beliefs or opinions, you are left to make your own decisions on the actual characters, and their fates. Deep down this movie is about pushing past the limitations that we set upon ourselves, and that it really is OK to live your life for you. There are many layers, and seeing the world through the eyes of young Vallie Sue, we are seeing her fears, and we watch her learn to stand up for herself, and her Brother, and take the steps she needs for herself. I Enjoyed this movie a lot more than I had expected, the camera work, and lighting feel weak, but the acting more than makes up for it most of the time. I am glad that things did not escalate too far, this movie leaves you unscarred, even though there are plenty of things that could have been much more painful. I recommend this for a good afternoon drama. Don't expect to be blown away, but you might at least enjoy meeting the people.

Trailer—Angels in Stardust

Angels in Stardust