This modest indie flick is more like Alice in Not-So-Wonderful Land. While on a road trip to Florida, troubled 19-year-old Alice's (Emily Grace) car breaks down, and she ends up hitching a ride with a motorhoming couple (Bill Raymond and Judith Ivey). But there are no free rides, and the shady twosome pimp her out to truckers--and, shockingly, she consents.
Seeing tender Alice go from frazzled runaway to cocky tramp isn't exactly a pleasure cruise, as it blurs the definition of victim. But writer-director A. Dean Bell's sophisticated approach to a complex issue makes for compelling viewing. Though first-timer Grace overdoes it at times--she goes too heavy on the makeup and the northeastern accent--Raymond and the irrepressible Ivey are bracing coconspirators. This deep journey is worth experiencing.