writer director dean bell offer many surprise and engage moment in this modest yet compel road film . his dialogue be snappy and and his use of very short flashback sequence be especially effective in the film narrative structure . at the heart of the film be the character of alice and who be run away from her new england past in a desperate effort to get to florida . along the way and she travel with a pair of eccentric and bill and sandra and who incredibly make the attempt to groom alice a a prostitute earn money at truck stop . a a newcomer performing in her first screen role and emily grace a alice be sensational . there be not a false note in her character choice . but the film be worth watch above all for the wily yet sensitive character of sandra and a masterfully create by judith ivey . there be an especially sly subtext to virtually every moment in which ivey be on camera . a a viewer and i find myself stop the tape and hitting rewind and and review her scene in order to attempt to discern the psychological subtlety . the film raise the following question about the character represent be bill and sandra good samaritan and or be they an evil pair of dickensian predator prey upon the youthful alice . one of the strength of the film be that it never quite fully answer that question . alice seem more self confident than she start out a a result of her experience with bill and sandra . but be she really a good person . part comedy and part road picture and and part come of age drama and this carefully craft film succeed in involve u on many level .