Hard Choices

This independently produced, shoestring budget drama spins a taut but plausible tale of an Appalachian teenager imprisoned for his largely innocent role in an ill-fated robbery, and the young social worker who takes the law into her own hands by breaking him out of jail. The scenario may sound trite, but thanks in large part to a first-rate script and excellent acting there isn't a cliché in sight. The film places believable characters into an honest background of rural poverty, providing more dramatic intensity with a fraction of the resources than any megabuck Hollywood blockbuster. The only shortcoming (and this is strictly a subjective reaction, to be sure) is the redneck rock 'n' roll soundtrack; it may be appropriate, but the music is godawful.

Many movies are typical story's we've all seen. That's what I was watching until one person came along and changed everything. The story now is in a place you have no idea where it's going or how it will end. The drug dealer is like no one you have seen before and given that this review is in 2015 and the film was 1985 his talent is now known for you can witness his beginnings. The film also has another star actor in his early work to look out for as he became an A rated star. If you're like me and like a low budget movie that goes way beyond it's limits, brings you actors making a name for themselves and no other film to compare it to you won't be disappointed.

HARD CHOICES begins with a young boy in a small town who dreams about flying planes. One day his brother and another guy take him on a joyride, which culminates in the murder of a store clerk in a botched robbery. That's the end of the kid. The kid is a victim of circumstance but not to the law who put him in a cell with the hard criminals.

HARD CHOICES begins in almost documentary fashion. We observe the Tennessee backwoods where Bobby lives. Up until the crime the movie seems painfully routine - I guess that's the idea - and then the murder. The middle text of the movie is with Bobby in prison, and he's a hearbreaker. A female social worker(Margaret Klennck) comes to visit him. Bobby's attracted to her and she to him and then the unpredictable happens.

HARD CHOICES, gritty and rough, contains moments of pure revelation. The sad course of Bobby's life and the shocking but touching affair with the woman whch is both senstive as it is hot and forbidden.. That's unpredictable enough but things escalate, the movie becomes a sombre thriller and anything's possible.

I didn't recognize any of the actors in this movie, although John Sayles plays a kind hearted drug dealer with a crush on the woman. This movie come to think of it is full of hard choices and Rick King the director never makes the material predictable or soapy. In the end, all we can hope is for Bobby to have some kind of life., maybe flying a plane. This is a great film, the kind of film that cries out to be discovered on video and cable.

DG

STAR STAR STAR STAR (out of four)

I couldn't believe my professor assigned this movie for a class. Ugh.

The production values are not too great, and the score is AWFUL!

In general, it feels like a corny 80s sex fantasy drawn out for 90 minutes.

But without a lot of sex.

Some of the nature scenes are very pretty, and it's almost in the so-bad-it's-fun category.

But not quite.

Definitely not recommended, unless you're having a bad-obscure-80s movie film fest.

And maybe not even then.

Film begins very well and continues well until social worker frees her increasingly loved charge from prison from which he would be sent to a hard core prison where his youthful handsome looks would make him a victim. Somehow I found it a bit hard to swallow her change from Bonnie Good to Bonnie of Clyde mien, and afterward, as stated, the film becomes less interesting, less beautifully photographed, and only the good ending redeems something from a story which held your interest and was believable but gradually becomes a criminal romance story. Well acted,and considering the low budget, impressive nonetheless.