Gas Food Lodging (1992)

Gas Food Lodging tells a very simple story about a family that could live off the exit ramp of just about any highway in America. Narrated by Shade (Fairuza Balk), its works well as an lighthearted slice-of-life movie about a teenager stuck in a stifling small town with relatively no means of escape. The characters are all well realized, with the relationship between mother Nora (Brooke Adams) and daughter Trudi (Ione Skye) especially true to life. While some of the acting comes off as amateurish, the dingy desert settings and kitchen-sink realism almost makes up for it. There is nothing new here as far as story goes, just a believable drama dealing with issues of divorce, pregnancy, and basic small-town survival. Anders throws in a few bits of fun with the fictional Elvia Rivero (Nina Belanger) films, which are the overly dramatic black-and-white Mexican movies Shade goes to see to detach herself from the boring daily life of Laramie. James Brolin also makes a notable appearance as Shade's real father, convincingly portraying a rugged cowboy's meager attempts at parenting. Best appreciated by teenagers, Gas Food Lodging lovingly captures plain existence and succeeds as a plausible domestic melodrama. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide