Please contact the developer of this form processor to improve this message. And it was a great thing for me because I had money for the first time. And that is the thing that I think made her leave in the end is that - she turned into something she didn't - she wasn't happy about. I didn't realize that. Pagan plays this song in the van as Jake and Star sit on top of the the van. What are we doing when we get there? American Honey follows Star (Lane), a young girl from a troubled home, who runs away with a traveling sales crew who drive across the American Midwest selling magazine subscriptions door to door. How do you go looking for them when you're not putting out a casting call? There's a wonderful intimacy in the way Arnold examines young women in her films."[67]. And she wants to look brown all the time (laughter). 3.5. Review: 'American Honey American Honey Here we go. We have leaflets, you know, we have numbers they can call, you know. GROSS: Who need a way out of the situation that they're in. And, of course, everyone there is doing kind of like plies and an official kind of thing. Jake We get the sense And I'm trying to unravel it and work it out. So I never officially did it, but I was always dancing. Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations. Just like the rest of us. [35] On 9 June, production was taking place in Omaha, Nebraska and Grand Island, Nebraska. "[66] David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter called the film "A road movie without a map that nonetheless arrives at a worthwhile destination," and wrote, "The film works best as a poignant character study, observing Star as she settles into her independence and figures out who she wants to be, framed by a vast physical landscape that stretches socioeconomically from privileged wealth to squalid poverty. Nathan plays this song as he dances with Star. So can you describe those shows for us? WebWhats happening in this Honey movie clip? And I somehow got it I don't know how the hell I got it, but I did. When they return to the hotel for the evening, Jake tells her not to mention their relationship, and he gives the money Star earned to Krystal. And so, you know, I wouldn't want to talk about those things. And then I sent them out, like, selling just to see how they would do (laughter). Star asks him what his dreams are, and he shows her his private stash of cash and items he's stolen from the houses he visits, which he intends to use to buy a home. Usually, theyre at a party, they put some music on, but theyre all dancing to something else, so the rhythms a bit off. They both give terrific performances, but most of the cast is comprised of teenagers with no acting experience, including the lead Sasha Lane, who plays a girl who runs away and joins the mag crew. They had a good time, but it was also not an easy time for some of them. LABEOUF: (As Jake) That's a bunch of [expletive], all that. She told me that actually towards the end - which I think this happens because a lot of the managers in the mag crews have been people who have been in the mag crew for a long time and then they become managers, they're people who are good at it and then become managers - she said that she hit someone at one point because they hadn't sold very much. I got - actually got a place but I needed to get a grant in order to go there because it was away from home. exaggerated imagery of the heartland of the United Statesmen in cowboy hats It's her first time doing this, and he's telling her to ignore the sheet of sales tips she was told to memorize and take his advice instead. ending Principal photography began in May 2015 with filming taking place in several states across America. Andrea Arnolds American Honey features numerous mise-en-scnes in which the American flag is billowing in the wind. Star takes it to the edge of the water and releases it before following the turtle into the water. And when I'm writing them - I mean, when I was writing that scene, I didn't kind of expect that to happen. Jake, however, fearing the worst, arrives and threatens the men with a gun before stealing their car. But where some might suspect Arnold cast him to capitalize or comment on his bizarre public persona, the filmmaker insists she wasnt even aware. Normally, music comes at the end, she says. They - they're both broke. They were - they were not thinking really about the magazines. The answer is that she came here and did her research and even discovered the films star, newcomer Sasha Lane, who was sunbathing on a beach while on spring break from college. We show the casting call. grilling meat by a pool, oil fields blazing at night, a trucker listening to GROSS: Looking for somebody to cast in your film. Soon afterward shes picked up by three middle-aged Texas cowboys who agree to buy a large amount of her magazines if shes willing to swallow a worm from the bottom of a glass of Mezcal (a strong Mexican alcoholic beverage). I never know how they're going to work out. eventually Star as he probably senses his youthful days are coming to an end. And Star says no. WebOverall, this is a romanticization of American life for the poorest white people, and as such it could have been very tacky. ARNOLD: And usually when we when we take it any further if we meet them say in spring break, we'd meet them on the beach and we'd say, oh, look, we're going to do some auditioning up at Wal-Mart car lot later. 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One of our casting directors suggested him, she says, and I thought, Oh, thats a really interesting idea. So I met with him, and he has a huge energy. [63] The film won the 2016 Cannes Film Festival's Jury Prize,[7] and received a special commendation from its Ecumenical Jury. GROSS: Realizes that she's probably poor and unrooted. See production, box office & company info. Since Star is new, she is paired with Jake, the veteran of the group. But, see, you're talking about stuff that I can't possibly talk about because, you know, when I make films I don't want to be discussing these things because I feel like, one, they're really personal and, two, they're really complicated. (0;54) After making sales at the houses, Pagan asks the crew to change the song. During this time, she worked on the second draft of the script and used the opportunity to meet with potential casting directors. Her rationale: It was spring break, and I thought that, out of all the places in the world where I might find someone, teenagers wanna go there., Related Arnolds American Honey its name: Steady as a preacher/Free as a weed/Couldnt So, you know, I think it's, you know - that if I make another film and it's about people who are 60 that maybe I have worked some stuff out at last. Brian Tallerico is the Managing Editor of RogerEbert.com, and also covers television, film, Blu-ray, and video games. In a series of dynamic, episodic scenes, the young woman dives into this unusual work, enduring her domineering boss (a sexy, trashy Riley Keough) and WebThis is a self-consciously redemptive ending but also signifies the coming into being of Stars mature self, from and through the experiences in the film, American Honey may not prove to be a timeless and iconic masterpiece, but it is an honest, lyrical record of this time and place and should be recognized as an emblematic masterpiece. She wrote and directed the new film "American Honey." It was pretty much that way. of community they have created and that they need so badly. 'American Honey': The Story Behind the Year's Best Road Movie All Rights Reserved. They want something from me. And she plays a teenager whose mother is an alcoholic and pays little attention to her, and the mother has a new boyfriend played by Michael Fassbender. Oh no! Sugar 101 I just don't know why I'm like obsessed with this particular image or the story. WebThe triple symbol ending seams to too abruptly and precisely define our conclusions. WebAmerican Honey (2016) Full Cast & Crew See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Directed by Andrea Arnold Writing Credits (in alphabetical order) Cast (in credits order) Produced by Cinematography by Robbie Ryan Film Editing by Joe Bini Casting By Lucy Pardee Jennifer Venditti Production Design by Kelly McGehee Art Direction by Lance The characters in American Honey have cut themselves loose from their parents (the implication is that they probably had good reason to i.e., they came from abusive households), and because they make cash with their magazine semi-scam, the result is that theyre free. Or, as one of their favorite lyrics puts it: I make my own money, so I spend it how I like,/Im just living life,/And let my mama tell it, nigga,/I aint living right. Theyre free to fight, and smoke dope, and laugh like demons, and jump around naked in front of the campfire, and give each other the hugs they never got. [41], Other songs featured in the film but not included in the soundtrack are:[45], In January 2016, A24 acquired distribution rights to the film. [40], The films soundtrack consists of 19 songs and features a mix of genres such as hip hop (specifically trap music), country, and pop rock. Star I suppose recognises that Jake is a quintessential bad boy and agrees to have sex with him, consummating their burgeoning romance. This group of smiling, jumping, dancing They dont sell their bodies, but in a way they do: Most of them are striking-looking in a trashed-runaway vagabond skate-punk way, and they use their pierced-and-tattooed street charisma to evoke pity and awe. widescreen vistas of the heart of the country, but its effective because it American Honey And like watch all the kids go by (laughter). Its hard to be out 10, 12, 18 hours a day, trying to get people to buy things. Accuracy and availability may vary. When they sing along, theyre expressing the feeling