The movie takes a look at a single mother, Nora (Brooke Adams), who raises her two daughters, Trudi (Ione Skye) and Shade (Fairuza Balk) while trying to make ends meet in a small town in the boondocks of New Mexico. Nora is a waitress that has learned more than she cares to about men over the years. They take what they want and leave when they're through (and those are the good ones). Years of experience have hardened her and while she has needs for men herself (in the form of one-night-stands), she readily acknowledges the limitations of such liaisons. She fights with Trudi since her 17-year-old daughter is all but a carbon copy of her, having learned all the wrong lessons from mom. Trudi, on the other hand, finds no solace with her partners but is always in search of Mr. Right. Young Shade avoids both of them to a large extent by going to the movies and dreaming of finding a guy herself, although with her sights set somewhat lower than her family.

Aside from the potshots at men throughout the movie, the bleak landscape and the economic pressures the family encounters, there was a fair amount to like with this one. The themes of growing up (and growing out), peer pressure, and how women look at life are all well handled here. Director Anders admitted to taking various events out of her life to populate the often barely linked segments here and while this is a risky venture on her part, I think it worked out. It lent an air of honesty to the film and while I'm not sure I understood everything she was shooting for (I am a man after all), the movie handled a lot of subjects in a manner that made me keep watching rather than just write it off as another man bashing feminist diatribe.

The acting by Adams and Balk was very solid with Skye's a bit less sure. I think the writing and direction lent credibility to the background which is difficult to explain outside of saying that Anders conveyed an awful lot of information by what she included, as well as what she left out. For a first film, this was a feat (one which she has yet to repeat) and I think it's worth a rating of Recommended since it also has a lot of replay value. Women will probably think of it in even more favorable terms even with the bittersweet ending.

Picture: The picture was presented in 1.85:1 ratio anamorphic widescreen color. The picture had some grain and color saturation with a bit of soft focus from time to time. The movie was made in 1991 and looked about average for it's age although some of the artifacts and moiré might've been improved on when the movie was "remastered in high definition".

Sound: The sound was presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo English with optional French subtitles. The vocals and music were clear with some attention having been paid to this aspect of the feature when it was originally filmed.

Extras: trailers and a paper insert listing the chapters

Final Thoughts: Watching Nora's failed attempts at romance, as well as the character growth of Trudi and Shade made for some good viewing. The subplots were sometimes a bit underdeveloped but the overall film was well worth checking out. A number of aspects regarding small-town life were well captured, proving the director had some background in living in one. It's worth checking out for both genders but women will, I think appreciate it more.