TICKET OUT

US, 2012, 90 minutes, Colour.
Ray Liotta, Alexandra Breckenridge, Colin Ford, Ciara Bond, Billy Burke.
Directed by Doug Lodato.

Ticket Out takes on the issue of abusive parents, court decisions, issues of custody, the desperation of mothers, the harm for the children.

The plot focuses on what is called an Underground Railway in which parents are helped by volunteers to hide from their pursuers, to move from safe house to safe house, ultimately moving towards the Canadian border where they can get a flight and take refuge in Canada.

Alexandra Breckenridge is the harassed mother and Billy Burke the vindictive father. Ray Liotta is a sympathetic parent helping with the Underground Railway then later revealed to be an FBI agent collaborating to discover legal aspects of the Underground. He is attracted to the mother and children. There is a crisis at the end of the film where the mother sees him with her husband, clashes with him, the husband pursuing with a melodramatic shootout on the tarmac.

1. A film about domestic situations, crises, parenting, separation, custody? Abusive and violent parents?
2. The American locations, the cities, suburbs, remote towns? The countryside? Courts? The pursuit? The musical score?

3. The title, the importance for Jocelyn and her children to be free of her husband?

4. Domestic violence, the law, lawyers? The issue of spouse and children rescue? The Underground Railway, the teams? Legal and illegal?

5. Jocelyn, the children, in the court, the decision against her, for her husband? Her reliance on her sister? Her parents?

6. The situation, the children going to their father, unwilling? The girl bouncing the ball, breaking the vase, the boy taking responsibility, his being beaten? Jocelyn arriving, the boy with the gun, stabbing his father? Their escape?

7. The father, his character, severe, vindictive against his wife? His punishing the children? going to hospital, his arrogance, the TV interview?

8. Jocelyn and the note, the police going to her sisters, the getting away? Meeting Jim, the contacts, her being desperate, the Rev Appleton and his wife, Levi and his children? Prayer, the meal?

9. The nature of the Underground, Levi having to flee with his children until they were 18? The variety of stops on the way, destination Canada?

10. The FBI, the investigation, to break up the Underground?

11. The little girl going outside, waving to the farmer, his giving information, the police arriving, the guns in the shooting, Levi killed? His children taken into custody?

12. The father, going to the police, hiring the tracker, the cash? His contact with the FBI agents?

13. Jim, genial, his story, family, in prison? The shift in the plot with his being part of the FBI sting, investigating the Underground?

14. The various crises, accommodation, the little girl going to pat the dog, Jocelyn in the shop, the tracker taking the children and Jocelyn, Jim unable to help them? There being in the police precinct, his coming in with the story, helping them escape?

15. The old lady, the plans, the plane to take the family to Canada?

16. Jocelyn, selling her engagement ring, the telescope, seeing Jim with her husband?

17. The husband, his continued pursuit, with the agents?

18. Jim, attracted to Jocelyn, revealing the truth, her pushing him down the whole? Her hurrying to the plane, with the children, the husband preventing the takeoff? Jim emerging, the fight with the husband? On the tarmac, Jocelyn with the gun, her husband with the gun, Jim being shot, the takeoff?

19. An American story – but multiplied around the world with parents employing agents to help abduct their children?