Deidra & Laney Rob a Train

[osprey_archer]

Last night I watched Deidra & Laney Rob a Train, which is about - wait for it - two sisters robbing trains! After their mother gets arrested, high schoolers Deidra and Laney find themselves in dire need of bail money, and they turn their eyes to the train tracks that run right behind their house.

The first few minutes had me worried that the movie was going to be farcical in a mean-spirited way, but soon enough the tone settles down into a surprisingly kind-hearted dark comedy. Deidra and Laney shine - I particularly like the way that the movie builds up Laney, who starts out all but invisible and completely overshadowed by her brilliant older sister, but becomes Deidra's equal partner. “You’re my Sundance Kid,” Deidra tells Laney, which is both a beautiful shout-out to train robbery classic movies and a marker of Laney’s growth as a person.

But the secondary characters get their moments, too. I particularly liked Deidra’s guidance counselor, who wants to get out of town as desperately as Deidra does herself, and Laney’s etiquette teacher, a former teen beauty pageant winner, both of whom would have been easy teen movie caricatures and both of whom become partly although not wholly positive influences in the girls' lives. (Deidra’s guidance counselor in particular reaches her apotheosis midway through the credits. Be sure to stick around for it.)

The one character I would have liked a bit more fleshed out was Laney’s best-friend-turned-bitter-enemy Claire. Why, Claire, Why?

The heist sequences are fun (and actually believable as something that a couple of teenagers could pull off) and the movie is funny without feeling like it’s making fun of the characters. A very pleasant evening’s entertainment. I recommend it!

Comments

[lilysea]

I really liked this film! ^_^

[osprey_archer]

It's so much fun! I loved all the unexpected directions it took with the characters - except for maybe the railway cop, none of them felt like "types" and almost all of them had at least one moment when they surprised me, which is so much fun.

I also liked how specifically the movie was set in Idaho, because I haven't seen a lot of things set in Idaho and I always enjoy it when a piece of art has a very specific sense of place.

[sovay]

The first few minutes had me worried that the movie was going to be farcical in a mean-spirited way, but soon enough the tone settles down into a surprisingly kind-hearted dark comedy.

I'm so glad! It's a great premise and I'm happy there are real people in it.

[osprey_archer]

My expectations of teen movies are perhaps unfairly low: I was SO IMPRESSED that the movie had a guidance counselor who wasn't a complete waste of space. She's not perfect, but she's got good qualities. She's... complicated! and flawed! like a real person!

[sovay]

She's not perfect, but she's got good qualities. She's... complicated! and flawed! like a real person!

Dude!

(I am not sure your expectations of teen movies are unfairly low, but I am glad this movie decided to so thoroughly exceed them.)

[osprey_archer]

There's also a social worker who is - actually competent at her job! She's still an adversary, because each time she visits there's a concern that she may send Deidra's siblings to foster care - but she's an adversary because of the way the system is set up rather than because she's a horrible person.

It's kind of sad that I found all these things actually surprising.

[sovay]

It's kind of sad that I found all these things actually surprising.

I can't disagree, but I still understand treasuring the nuances when you find them. I feel similarly about the social worker in A Thousand Clowns (1965).

[kore]

....man, where the hell were films like this when I was a kid. It sounds delightful!

[osprey_archer]

RIGHT, THOUGH? I love how very much the movie is exactly what it says in the title: two girls rob trains together.