FAR FROM HOME
US, 1989, 86 minutes, Colour.
Matt Frewer, Drew Barrymore, Richard Masur, Susan Tyrell, Jennifer Tilly, Dick Miller.
Directed by Meiert Avis.
Far From Home is a brief thriller, quite effective in its way. It has excellent offbeat Nevada settings, a lonely isolated town and its inhabitants. Matt Frewer (Max Headroom, Honey I've Shrunk the Children) is a father, a travel writer, on tour with his daughter, Drew Barrymore. They encounter the hostility of the people in the town, the drab way of life as well as several murders. There is some tension and atmosphere, especially in the menace of the daughter. The villain is a likable, if eccentric, young teenager from the town. There is a good supporting case including Richard Masur managing a garage, Susan Tyrell doing one of her many impersonations of harridan women. Not bad of its kind.
1.Interesting and enjoyable thriller, murder mystery?
2.The Nevada desert, the atmosphere, the highways, out of the way towns, dusty atmosphere, the tourist ruins, the radio-active areas of Nevada? Vivid, the overtones of the use of Nevada? Musical score?
3.The title, the relation to Jo and Charlie, their experience, feeling alien?
4.Jo and her diary, 13, her 14th birthday, her separated parents, travelling with her father, his strictness with her? Running out of petrol, having to drive out of their way? The encounter with the bearded mechanic? No gas, having to stay, with Agnes and her wanting money, the death in the supermarket? The caravan and its inconvenience? The attraction towards Jim? Pinky? The night at the camper, going swimming, the eerie atmosphere, the town, her going off with Jim, his sexual advances, his misunderstanding her, her own confusion? Pinky rescuing her, going to the hill, to the derelict building, his being a daredevil? The further deaths, her father going for petrol, with Louise and the young girl, going off with Pinky, the confrontation, the dangers, the violent ending? Her going back to normal - on her birthday?
5.Jim, his sullenness in the town, with his mother, the angers, the sexual advances, friendship with Pinky and clashes with him? The arrest, his sullenness, the final sequence of him being free?
6.The bearded mechanic, the gun, his philosophy of life, not wanting money, helping, driving Louise and Charlie to get gas, his investigation of the house, his being stabbed, the shooting of Pinky, friendship at the end?
7.Agnes, disagreeable, shouting, slatternly? Her son, the daughter watching television, the clash about the meal? Her demanding money? Her being killed in the bath?
8.Louise, the young woman, pleasant, friendship with Charlie, minding Jo, going to get gas, the car in flames? Louise at the end?
9.Pinky, friendly, helping, rescuing Jo, taking her to his place, daring on the roof, the story of his father and the emblem? His mother, the ice? The truth about her death, his killing Agnes when she found out, stabbing the mechanic, his motives, his madness, going with Jo, their confrontations, on the top of the building, his death?
10.The sheriff, suspicions, his work, taking Jim, the return?
11.Charlie, the situation, his strictness with his daughter, friendship with Louise, going for the gas, concerned about paying, his return and the dramatic climax?
12.Popular thriller themes? Mystery? The resilience of human nature?
