Plot
A young girl who has been abandoned by her former-groupie mother informs a fading rock star that she is his daughter.
Release Year: 2010
Rating: 6.1/10 (360 voted)
Critic's Score: 52/100
Director:
David M. Rosenthal
Stars: Abigail Breslin, Alessandro Nivola, Elisabeth Shue
Storyline A young girl who has been abandoned by her former-groupie mother informs a fading rock star that she is his daughter.
Cast: Abigail Breslin
-
Janie Jones
Alessandro Nivola
-
Ethan Brand
Elisabeth Shue
-
Mary Ann Jones
Peter Stormare
-
Sloan
Joel David Moore
-
Dave
(as Joel Moore)
Frances Fisher
-
Lily
Brittany Snow
-
Iris
Frank Whaley
-
Chuck
Michael Panes
-
Ulysses
David Lee Smith
-
Officer Dickerson
Rodney Eastman
-
Billy
Breilen Bauer
-
Guy #1
Samy Camara
-
Groupie
(as Saman Nasir)
Joseph Canales
-
Punk Rocker #1
Richard Cotovsky
-
Club Manager
The plot line of JANIE JONES has been used many times before -
estranged child forced to live with runaway parent provides growth for
both - but this story is apparently based on a true incident and
perhaps that is one of the reasons it becomes rather endearing. Written
and directed by David Rosenthal this somewhat overly long film works
well and that is in no small art due to the sensitive casting.
Tattooed, alcoholic, almost has been rock and roll performer Ethan
(Alessandro Nivola) tours with a mediocre band headed by manager Sloan
(Peter Stormare) who somehow manages to keep things together for the
band - Dave (Joel David Moore), singer and Ethan's girl friend Iris
(Britanny Snow), Chuck (Frank Whaley), and Ulysses (Michael Panes). The
band has been together for years and now is forced to play the sleazy
nightclubs who will book second rate acts. Into this worn down group
comes a surprise - Ethan's old squeeze Mary Ann Jones (Elisabeth Shue)
whom Ethan hasn't seen for 13 years arrives on the scene with Ethan's
13- year-old daughter Janie Jones (Abigail Breslin). Ethan doesn't even
remember Mary And nor does he buy the fact that he fathered a child,
but Mary Ann has the birth certificate to prove it: Mary Ann is drug
addict and can no longer care for Janie while she attempts to dry out
so she literally dumps Janie with the reluctant Ethan and disappears.
The remainder of the film is a struggle Ethan has at being unable to
cope with life in general, the disbanding of the band because of
Ethan's sociopathic behavior, Ethan's arrest and Janie's method of
bailing him out when no one else will, falling downhill as a musician,
and coping with the fact that Janie is around. The gradual interaction
between Ethan and Janie demonstrates the difficulties of
father-daughter bonding, but it also awakens in each of them the
concept of being noticed, needed, and loved.
Both Alessandro Nivola (one of our finest actors today) and Abigail
Breslin bring a depth of acting skills to these rolls. They are wholly
credible and have our hearts all the way through. The smaller roles
(including Frances Farmer as Ethan's wealthy mother form whom he is
able to get funding because of Janie's presence as her granddaughter)
are well written and beautifully acted. The film relies a lot on music
and Nivola and Breslin sing and pay their own musical contributions.
Yes the story may be tattered from over use, but the strength of the
film is well worth the viewer's interest and time. Grady Harp, November
11
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