The Florida Project (2017)
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A six-year-old girl and her mother navigate a gritty reality in a budget motel near the magic of Walt Disney World.
The story
The film follows Moonee, a six-year-old girl, and her mother, Halley, who live in a budget motel in Kissimmee, Florida, near Walt Disney World. While the adults struggle with the harsh realities of poverty and trying to make ends meet, Moonee and her friends enjoy a summer of exploration and adventure. The story juxtaposes the children's joyful, innocent experiences with the less glamorous day-to-day lives of the local residents. Set in a realistic environment, the narrative explores the contrast between the nearby theme park's fantasy and the reality of life in the 'Florida Project' area.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Moonee, a six-year-old girl, lives with her single mother, Halley, at the Magic Castle Inn and Suites. Moonee spends her summer days with neighbors Scooty and Dicky, and later befriends Jancey. Halley, recently unemployed, struggles financially and begins selling knockoff perfume and engaging in sex work to survive. Amidst this, Moonee and her friends explore the neighborhood. After a fire started by the children leads to a falling out with their neighbors, Halley's situation worsens. She eventually engages in sex work more openly, leading to a confrontation with a neighbor and a tense standoff with the motel manager, Bobby. Following a visit from DCF investigators who find evidence of her work, the authorities move to take Moonee into foster care. In the final moments, Moonee and Jancey run away together toward the Magic Kingdom theme park.
- First release year
- 2017
- Runtime (minutes)
- 111
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Sean Baker
- Writers
- Sean Baker · writer; Chris Bergoch · writer
- Cast and characters
- Willem Dafoe; Brooklynn Prince; Bria Vinaite; Valeria Cotto; Christopher Rivera; Caleb Landry Jones
- Genres
- drama
- Themes
- poverty; childhood innocence; mother-daughter relationships
- Tone and mood
- realistic; poignant
- Setting
- A budget motel in Kissimmee, Florida, near Walt Disney World during the summer.
- Premise and plot tags
- slice of life; coming-of-age
- Content notes
- prostitution
- Reception
- The film received critical acclaim, particularly for Sean Baker's direction and the performances of Willem Dafoe, Brooklynn Prince, and Bria Vinaite. It was also recognized by the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute as one of the top ten films of the year.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 96% · scale: percentage · review count: 320; Metacritic · score: 92 · scale: 100 · review count: 44
- Awards and nominations
- Critics' Choice Movie Award · Best Young Performer · win; Academy Awards · Best Supporting Actor · nomination; Golden Globes · Best Supporting Actor · nomination; SAG Awards · Best Supporting Actor · nomination; Critics Choice Awards · Best Supporting Actor · nomination; BAFTA Awards · Best Supporting Actor · nomination
- Production trivia
- The production designer was Sean Baker's sister.; The film's title was a code-name during its planning stages.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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