American Honey (2016)
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A young girl from a troubled home joins a traveling sales crew to sell magazine subscriptions across the American Midwest.
The story
Star, a teenager living a painful life in Muskogee, Oklahoma, escapes her home and joins a traveling sales crew that drives across the American Midwest selling magazine subscriptions door to door. After meeting a boy named Jake, she is hired by the crew's leader, Krystal. The group travels through various states, including Kansas and South Dakota. Star is paired with Jake for training, where she experiences the complexities of their lifestyle, including the challenges of selling to affluent neighborhoods and the dynamics of the crew's communal living and traveling arrangements.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Star is a teenager in Muskogee, Oklahoma, living with her abusive father, Nathan, and caring for two children. She escapes her life after making eye contact with Jake, a member of a traveling magazine sales crew. After a brief period of hesitation, she joins the crew under the leadership of Krystal. The group travels across the Midwest, including Kansas and South Dakota. In Kansas, Star is paired with Jake for training; despite his radical behavior and theft, she becomes attracted to him. The crew lives in various locations, including a motel and a rundown house. Tensions arise as Krystal exerts control over the group, and Star navigates her complicated feelings for Jake, who keeps his earnings secret from her. After a series of events involving a man in the oil fields and Krystal's revelations about Jake's past with other recruits, Star continues her journey. In South Dakota, she shows empathy for a mother on drugs and leaves groceries for her children. The film concludes with a bonfire where Jake gives Star a baby turtle; she releases it into a lake and immerses herself in the water, watching lightning bugs disperse into the night sky.
- First release year
- 2016
- Runtime (minutes)
- 163
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Andrea Arnold
- Writers
- Andrea Arnold · writer; Andrea Arnold · director
- Cast and characters
- Sasha Lane · Star; Shia LaBeouf · Jake; Riley Keough
- Genres
- road drama; coming-of-age drama; drama road movies
- Themes
- Independence; Poverty; Coming-of-age; Americana
- Tone and mood
- Dreamy; Distorted; Poignant
- Premise and plot tags
- Road Movie; Independent Film; Coming-of-age
- Source material / true-story basis
- An investigative piece in The New York Times about magazine crews.
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews and critical acclaim, particularly for its direction, cinematography, and the lead performance. It was well-received at major festivals like Cannes and Toronto.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 80% · review count: 215
- Awards and nominations
- Best British Film · BAFTA Awards · Nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was Arnold's only film to be set and filmed outside of the United Kingdom.; The title is derived from a 2010 hit single by Lady A.; The remainder of the cast were found in parking lots, construction sites, streets, and state fairs.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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