Katie Says Goodbye (2016)
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A young waitress in rural Arizona navigates a cycle of poverty and exploitation while seeking a way to escape her life.
The story
In a rural 1980s Arizona hamlet, seventeen-year-old Katie works as a waitress to support her mother, Tracey, who relies on her for bills. To escape poverty and fund a move to San Francisco, Katie begins selling sex to truckers. Her life becomes complicated when she enters a relationship with Bruno, a local mechanic. However, after Bruno discovers her secret, Katie agrees to stop. Despite this, Katie's reputation precedes her, leading to a series of traumatic encounters and accusations from her coworkers that threaten her safety and her livelihood.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Katie is a seventeen-year-old waitress in rural 1980s Arizona who supports her mother, Tracey, by selling sex to truckers to fund a move to San Francisco. She begins a relationship with Bruno, a local mechanic, who agrees to end her prostitution. However, Katie's reputation leads to a violent assault by a man and his coworkers, who rape her. Bruno reacts by assaulting the men, wounding one. Following the incident, Bear (a trucker) accuses Bruno of causing Katie's injuries, leading to a fight between the men. Bruno eventually ends their relationship, blaming her for the assault, and is arrested. Meanwhile, Tracey abandons Katie and steals her money. At the diner, a coworker accuses Katie of theft; Katie admits to it and refuses to stay. After a final breakdown, Katie begins hitchhiking down the highway to start a new journey.
- First release year
- 2016
- Runtime (minutes)
- 88
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Wayne Roberts
- Writers
- Wayne Roberts · writer; Wayne Roberts · director
- Cast and characters
- Olivia Cooke · Katie; Mireille Enos · Tracey; Christopher Abbott · Bruno; Mary Steenburgen · Maybelle; Jim Belushi · Bear; Keir Gilchrist · Matty; Chris Lowell · Dirk
- Genres
- drama; independent
- Themes
- poverty; exploitation; dysfunctional families; prostitution
- Tone and mood
- despondent; gritty
- Setting
- Rural Arizona in the 1980s
- Premise and plot tags
- drama; independent; prostitution; dysfunctional family
- Reception
- The film received a critic approval rating of 45% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 20 reviews, with an average rating of 5/10.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 45% · review count: 20; Rotten Tomatoes · score: 5/10 · scale: 10 · review count: 20
- Production trivia
- The film was inspired by suggestions from producers Sean Durkin and Antonio Campos.; Principal photography took place in New Mexico.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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