Cast: Brooke Adams, Ione Sky, Fairuza Balk, James Brolin, Robert Knepper
Director: Allison Anders
Producers: Daniel Hassid, William Ewart, and Seth M. Willenson
Screenplay: Allison Anders based on the novel Don't Look and It Won't Hurt by Richard Peck
Cinematography: Dean Lent
Music: J. Mascis
U.S. Distributor: IRS Media
Generally, people go to the movies to escape from reality. Gas Food Lodging provides this escape by mirroring life so perfectly that the audience feels like they're watching real people in real situations rather than actors in a film. The dialogue, actions, and movements are as genuine as can be found in any motion picture.
This is director Allison Anders' first feature, and she readily admits that much of the story is culled from her own experiences (even though the screenplay is based on a novel by Richard Peck). In Gas Food Lodging, she wanted to present the difficulties of being a single mother in a setting where the economic climate is bleak. It's a scenario that many will be able to relate to on a personal level.
The plot is effective in its simplicity, and there is enough quiet intensity to keep it from becoming stagnant. Gas Food Lodging follows about a year in the life of a three-female household (mother and two teenage daughters). There are numerous subtle touches which underscore Anders' aptitude with the material and her cast. The messages in Gas Food Lodging, all of which deal with consequences, are presented obliquely.
This film is highlighted by several noteworthy performances. Ione Skye (of Say Anything) takes on the less-than-glamorous role of Trudi, an affection-starved girl who believes that using her body is the only way to get men to like her. As believable as Skye's performance is, she's upstaged by the younger Fairuza Balk (as Shade), with her wonderfully expressive wide eyes. Brooke Adams and James Brolin round out the cast as Nora and John, the divorced parents of the two girls.
Gas Food Lodging deals with issues, but its strength lies in the characters that struggle at the heart of the story. Anders has made this film far from the glitz of Hollywood and the money that comes with the limelight. Hopefully, for her next project, she'll be able to maintain the gritty quality which makes her debut such a memorable effort.
© 1992 James Berardinelli