Commentaires des utilisateurs

"Maybe you're exactly where you need to be." Apple (Hudgens) is a pregnant teenager who escapes her abusive mother (Dawson) and goes to New Jersey in search of her father. After she finds him things don't go as planned. Neither him or his wife think Apple should have the baby so they bring her to a clinic. Knowing that isn't what she wants Apple runs from there and winds up homeless living on the streets and out of garbage until she is taken to a shelter for young pregnant women. Finding that place changes her entire life. After watching the trailer for this I thought I was prepared for how heavy the movie was gonna be. I wasn't. The movie is hard to watch in some parts and knowing that this is based on a true story makes it that much more powerful. The best part and the reason to watch though is Vanessa Hudgens. She so inhabits this character that you forget it's her. She is in a movie with Rosario Dawson, Brendan Fraser and James Earl Jones and they all struggle to keep up with her. The movie does have the feel of Precious and movies like that so it's not one you can watch over and over but it should be viewed at least once if for no other reason then to see Vanessa Hudgens' performance. Overall, a good and powerful movie with a career making performance by Vanessa Hudgens. I give this a B.

i was expecting a tear-jerker and i got one.

the movie follows 16yr old Apple on her journey to find hope and peace and she finds it in an unlikely place. Vanessa Hudgens' portrayal of Apple was tender and touching and over-the-top at times but still very moving - and believable. Rosario Dawson appeared in a way i've never seen, not just physically, but so emotionally disturbing i felt a visceral reaction when she was on screen. Brendan Fraser was heartbreakingly good in this. when I thought I would dislike his character, I actually ended up loving him. the rare glimpse of James Earl Jones was like a balm in this emotional whirlwind. everyone played so well.

i went to see this with mom and girlfriends. i recommend it highly for girls' nights out or group bonding of any kind. it is a special film about a special group of people in our world. well done.

This movie is quite believable and Hudgens does a great job, having actually lived in a real shelter prior to playing the part. I think she gained a great deal of understanding doing that and it shows in her part. There are some folks reviewing the movie here who referred to her going through "Clinton's Village" subsidized programs, which misses the point of Clinton's Village. Her theory was not based on subsidized govt programs, rather the need for community and all of us to take an interest in helping our neighbors, our schools and to be aware of the folks around us who are either lost or having a tough time. I found that review a slap in the face of the movie and hate to see how you preach in your church as a pastor. Another review mentioned that women and girls should see this. EVERYONE, not least of all MEN should watch this movie. This Wallstreet dad might have behaved differently had he known what his daughter went through until she sought out a better life by finding him. Who knows? Sorry for the rants, but needed to call folks out on some attitudes. perhaps the mother would not have turned to prostitution to survive. Many prostitutes are so desperate to support their kids and it is the only thing they feel they can make it on because of a lack of "Village help" and support of two parents. Then they turn to drugs in order to tolerate the abuse and exploitation of prostitution. It is a vicious cycle and one that mostly affects teen moms and kids with low self-esteem. The system does not sufficiently push dad's role and if more men saw this movie, perhaps they would think twice about abandoning the needs of their children, whether planned or unplanned. I find the sexist attitude of folks so absurd. Take responsibility and stop giving the dads a pass!

Finding a safe place can be hard when you don't know where you belong.

This drama is hard to watch, but engaging. Vanessa Hudgens turns in a compelling performance as a feisty street kid who is searching for her identity amid hard choices.

Rosario Dawson, James Earl Jones and Brendan Fraser fully inhabit their roles.

The film addresses poverty, class, systemic racism, white privilege and the problems in the shelter system. Not a big film, but thought provoking.

The story is more than worth being told repeatedly. It's just not done very well. The excellent actors assembled here do not have much to work with... except for Rosario Dawson. She is a fiery, damaged, evil, bitter, ashamed monstrous, spiteful, twisted terror. It's not like she has an abundance of lines but she winds through the story... to a point.

The remorseful Brendan Fraser, the kindly James Earl Jones, the threatened Stephanie Szostak, the distraught Vanessa Hudgens, the concerned Ann Dowd and the supporting young mothers that feature a young Dascha Polanco (Orange is the New Black) and the head full of bad ideas. Emily Meade ( The Deuce). They all have remarkably little to work with and are a weak balance to Dawson.

IMO, it's a great performance for Dawson's professional reel but otherwise has a Hallmark tv movie production value.

One of the poorer films I've watched this year. From the out-of-place soundtrack, to the nonsense decisions of the main character, and finally the ham-fisted 'emotional impact' the movie so desperately wants you to feel, I did not have any fun watching this movie. They would have had to have added an 'aww' track to make this movie any more obvious. The only saving grace was Brendan Fraser's surprising performance. If the movie had been about his characters conflict with his estranged former family, I'm sure this would have been a recommended movie. Instead you see a good fifteen minutes of him, and close to two hours of a pregnant hobo crying.

Story of a real girl, going through real situations, and the struggle of facing real life through it all. Acting was good enough to convey the emotions the people faced through the challenges. Camera work and music was good too.

I went into this movie, expecting a gritty, realistic depiction of overcoming adversity. It didn't disappoint me with the realistic depiction of grittiness. But overcoming adversity? I would have to give that description a big fail.

Vanessa Hudgens was spectacular. She gave an interestingly nuanced performance of a tenacious teen who had absolutely nothing going for her. I haven't really seen her in anything else, so I can't compare her performance to any past work. But suffice to say, I was impressed. Rosario Dawson scared the crap out of me. I'm a huge fan of all her work, but I've got to say this is the first time I've seen her play such a despicable human being. Kudos to her for her performance. Brandon Fraser, who, I might add, has aged as gracefully as a hunk of cheese, was pretty decent too. I have to say he was my favorite character, though he wasn't in the movie that much.

I guess it's the ending that ruined the movie for me. That, and the Christian propaganda. I am a Christian, but even my teeth started to hurt when they were sprouting all the sweet words of love and fellowship and sisterhood. It just didn't work for me. And the ending...well, you'll have to see it for yourself. Suffice to say that it seemed she took one step forward, then took five steps back.

"Gimme Shelter" is not an especially easy movie to watch nor is it fun in any way. After all, the main character, Apple (Vanessa Hudgens) is a teen that's been through it all—physical abuse, sexual abuse, repeated foster homes and a mother with less maternal instincts than a rabid hamster. And, to make it even worse, she's pregnant! One thing is for sure, she cannot stay with her vicious mother (Rosario Dawson)—so the film begins with her running away in search of her father (Brendan Fraser). The problem is that her father has never met her—and his new life is very ordered and his wife isn't especially interested in becoming step-mom to a tattooed, pierced and angry young mother-to-be. So, after an abortive stay with her dad and his family, Apple feels compelled to leave—living on the streets and hoping that somehow it will all work out for the best.

Eventually, this unwanted young lady ends up coming in contact with an old priest (James Earl Jones) and he wants to help. He knows of a home for pregnant teens and convinces her to give it a try. This is no small task, as Apple has learned over her short life that you really cannot trust anyone. While the place turns out to be pretty nice, Apple just cannot accept that anyone could help her without some sort of agenda and you wonder if she'll stay put and have her baby there or, perhaps, on some street corner. Her first instinct is to just run.

I really had to admire the script for "Gimme Shelter", as it manages to seem a lot truer than most stories about troubled teens. Missing are many of the clichés you might think would be and the film can be favorably compared to another great film about a troubled teen, "Precious". And, as a retired social worker and psychotherapist, I have worked on a lot of cases that were similar to this one and it comes off as believable and compelling. It's not always pleasant viewing but it is a high quality film—one you have to see to appreciate.

In addition to a dandy script, what really impressed me was the acting. While Hudgens is in her mid-20s, she managed to pull off a convincing portrait of a scared and almost animalistic teen—and is a much meatier role than she's usually known for doing. Dawson is also a standout. While she was only in the film here and there, she managed to play an incredibly nasty character with great zest and was very convincing. For both roles, both actresses had to make themselves as non-glamorous as possible in order to be true to their characters. Additionally, Fraser's role is a lot more interesting and compelling compared to other roles he's taken such as "George of the Jungle" and "Furry Vengeance" (uggh!).

"Gimme Shelter" is not always pleasant, but it is a film well worth your time. It's also a film well worth seeing with your teen, as the film has a lot you and your kids could talk about when it's complete. Overall, there's really nothing I didn't like about this film—I just don't know if such an earthy and not always pleasant theme will attract many viewers. I sure know it deserves a chance.

Written and directed by Ronald Krausse, "Gimme Shelter" proves that good intentions and earnestness alone can't guarantee the quality of a film.

The screenplay is based on the true story of a 16-year-old girl who goes by the name Apple (the talented Vanessa Hudgens) whose life could easily have served as the basis for a Dickens novel had it been set a century- and-a-half in the past. Born to an abusive, drug-addicted single mother (an uglied-up Rosario Dawson) who wants her daughter around only for the welfare checks she brings in, Apple has been kicked around from one foster home to the next, when she isn't trying to re-connect with her uber-rich biological father (Brendan Fraser) or living on the streets, that is.

Krausse sure pours on the pathos and the suffering, but the movie as a whole isn't as compelling as it should be, partly because, while there is a certain grittiness in the look and feel of the picture, the episodic nature of the tale doesn't allow for any real development of the secondary characters, leaving them stereotypical and flat. They simply remain off-screen for too long a time to register much of an impact on the audience. Apple's absurdly callous "step-mother" (Stephanie Szostak) and a kindly priest (James Earl Jones), who offers the hand of friendship to Apple in her time of greatest need, feel particularly two-dimensional and under-developed. Moreover, the dialogue frequently undercuts the naturalism of the piece by having the characters spell out in words rather than through indirection and action what it is we're supposed to be taking away with us from the movie.

All those who made "Gimme Shelter" definitely had their hearts in the right place, but I think this is one of those instances where a little less fidelity to the actual story and a little more focus might have resulted in a more effective drama.

"Gimme Shelter" (2013 release; 101 min.) is not to be confused with the Rolling Stones 1970 concert documentary (nor does it contain the classic Rolling Stones song). It brings the story, "based on true events" we are reminded at the beginning, of 16 yr. old Agnes "Apple" Bailey (played by Vanessa Hudgens), who in the first scene of the movie is running away from June, her drug-abusing mom (played by Rosario Dawson) and her mom's boyfriend. She manages to get from New York across to New Jersey and finds her dad, whom she hasn't seen in ages and now turns out to be a stinking rich Wall Street investment banker, married with two young kids. Apple has a hard time fitting in, and on top of that now it turns out that she is pregnant. Her dad suggests she gets an abortion and "move on with your life" but Apple resists. At this point we are about 30 min. into the movie but to tell you more would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: first, this movie was shot in 2011, and has been sitting on the distribution shelf for quite some time. Second, even though we saw Hudgens last year in a very unlike-Disney role in "Spring Breakers", you could easily argue that this movie was an earlier attempt to break out of the Disney image (although on much safer territory). When you first see her, she is almost unrecognizable. I know it took me a few moments to adjust. Third, there are a couple of great performances in here, none more so than from Rosario Dawson in the role of the completely unlikeable mom. James Earl Jones as Father McCarthy has a small role to. He tries to bring some much needed guidance to Apple. At one point, he comments to her: "being young and pregnant is like being a pinwheel, you just drift as the wind takes you". Fourth, there are some good music placements in the movie, Lara Del Rey's "Born To Die" among them.

This movie sat on the shelf for a reason. It is not a great movie, even though it is inspirational and has some good performances. I saw it recently on its first weekend of wide release, and the screening I saw this at, on a Friday evening, was poorly attended (and I saw at least 2 people leave midway through). This is obviously not going to be a box office hit, but I think it's still worth checking it out when it comes on DVD/Blu-ray, assuming you keep your expectations in moderation.

My husband and I went to see Gimme Shelter on opening night. We are happy to say it was more than we were hoping for in the telling of this true story. Through so much hardship, sadness and pain, the beautiful young lady inside Agnes (Apple) emerges when love, respect and hope are offered to her. The performance by Vanessa was outstanding! I didn't know who she was before seeing the movie. The movie drew us right into it! We wanted to reach out and help her! We really like James Earl Jones and were glad to see him play the role of the Catholic priest. We are recommending this movie to everyone we know and plan to go back and see it again as well as buy it on DVD! Thanks to the producer of this excellent movie and to the theaters that are showing it around the country!

First, I don't think many 16 yr. Olds are capable of raising a baby, esp with so much emotional baggage! All you are doing is continuing a vicious cycle. This movie was based on a true story so for ALL the ignorants that raged about a "white" man, and the movies pro life message, need to shut their pie holes.

Do I agree with their choices, no, because I have lived with the horrible outcomes and consequences of my life choices and now, my daughter's choices, Very little good comes from premarital sex and being selfish by not allowing your child to have better than you did. Adoption can work! I don't know why we can't figure this out as a society, all the ruined lives speak for themselves! Sad just sad.

Having taught needs category including the following: detention center and alternative schools for juveniles convicted of assault with weapons; homeless dumpster divers; learning & behavioral disorders; severe & profound, I found our girl to be an exaggerated compilation of many problems all made into one person for dramatic effect that I never saw in real life. The overwhelming majority (95+%) of my ss were actually intelligent and for the most part respectful and willing to make some attempts at improvement (yes, a few, at times, would lose it briefly).

The movie showcases the help as being Christian without equal acknowledgement to other beliefs or that none should be promoted as part of help. Helping a person does not mean imposing my value system as an underlying subterfuge within that help. The basics of compassion, respect, tolerance, responsibility are not the province of my religion alone. Evangelizing a specific creed is being dishonest towards that person be they Native Peoples, Jew, Buddhist, Hindi, Muslim, atheist or Christian.

Gimme Shelter is a touching and moving film, so inspirational that I think people will want to buy more and more tickets to see it. Even though a low budget film, Vanessa Hudgens is stunning on her performance as Apple. She proves that she has completely left her amateur puppy Disney HSM acting and moved on to bigger future roles that will certainly give her a lot of career options, maybe an Oscar too. And why not? In Gimme Shelter, Vanessa Hudgens, as an actress, portrays all the emotions and characteristics that the Academy of Arts want to see. I wont be surprised if I see Hudgens taking at least a nomination for her stunning, breath taking performance. Gimme shelter, in general, is an indie film that captures all the phases of a difficult life in the streets of a city. Maybe a little bit of 8 Mile or Precious, Gimme shelter reminds a bit of these films, but the motion picture still keeps its originality of story and of course performances.

This movie felt like a Lifetime Movie (and I don't mean that in a disrespectful way) --- it just seemed more like a made for TV movie. That being said, I did enjoy it. I think the acting was pretty good; stellar job by Vanessa. It was a true story and it did pull me in, but did not blow me away. I am glad that this movie made it to the big screen and would recommend it to others. As a social worker, I am always interested in stories such as this and enjoy seeing the "underdog" come out on top. I personally didn't see any political agenda with this movie and didn't consider it to have a "pro-life" message. I just think it was the true story of a young girl who was born into a bad situation and struggled to find love and peace.