Based on a play by Joan Ackerman, this dreamy memory piece from director Campbell Scott reflects the influence of his mentor and frequent collaborator Alan Rudolph. Valentina de Angelis stars as the precocious 11-year-old daughter of bohemian parents (Sam Elliott and Joan Allen) trying to live off the land in rural New Mexico in the early 70s. While coping with her father’s depression, the spirited girl expresses her need for wider horizons by dreaming up elaborate consumer-complaint scams to get free merchandise. The plot is minimal, but the film is essentially an acting showcase. Allen is excellent as the girl’s overburdened mother, and her Steppenwolf associate Jim True-Frost does a subtle, mesmerizing turn as a government agent whose investigation of the family’s tax returns leads to unexpected entanglements. PG-13, 111 min.
