Steal Me (2005)

A 15 year old kleptomaniac with a mother fixation finds his way into the small town family of his dreams.

Director:

Melissa Painter

Writer:

Melissa Painter

Stars:

Danny Alexander, Hunter Parrish, Cara Seymour

2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Danny Alexander	...	Jake
Hunter Parrish	...	Tucker
Cara Seymour	...	Sarah
John Terry	...	Father
Chelsea Carlson	...	Cindy
Justin O'Hair	...	Unshaved Man
Paz de la Huerta	...	Lily Rose
Vann Gravage	...	Alan
Miles Gravage	...	Kon
Clay Tuck	...	Billy
Toby Poser	...	Grace
Steven Brian Conard	...	Officer Will
Zelda Adams	...	Baby Zelda
Keegan Nashan	...	Cindy's Friend
Tara McNeill	...	Blonde #1

Storyline

Chasing his wayward mother to Montana, fifteen year old Jake finds the picture perfect Tucker family instead who photoshop him into their lives, despite his questionable past.  Too bad Jake can not stop himself from stealing, being seduced by the sexy next door neighbor, courting the mother of the house, encouraging the son in his first love affair, and leading the neighborhood boys in an ever escalating series of pranks.  A drama about stealing radios, cars, and hearts.

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Plot Keywords:

stealing | love | affair | montana | kleptomaniac | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

January 2005 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Livingston, Montana, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cineville, Picture Entertainment Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Jake: You tell people you steal and they never really trust you after that. I like it better when people don't trust me. I like it better when people don't like me.Then at least I know what to expect. It's a forgone conclusion; then I know not to need them.

User Reviews

Stealing things...and hearts

STEAL ME is one of those little independent films that lacked the budget for advertising and got lost in the theaters until the DVD rolled out. Now it is available and is one of those happy choices for an evening's entertainment that is satisfyingly on more levels than just another coming of age story. Written and directed by Melissa Painter the film has the feeling of extemporaneous creation, so frank and un-pushed are the lines and the story: the fact that it is so beautifully set in the poetic atmosphere of Montana by an unnamed cinematographer takes the film into the realm of professional quality.

Jake (Danny Alexander) is a 16-year-old homeless kid, a street criminal who steals things for the high the experience provides, hopping trains to Montana to meet up with his irresponsible hooker mother whom he never finds. What Jake does encounter as he is stealing a car radio is Tucker (Hunter Parrish) who alters his outrage to feelings of pity for the homeless hungry Jake. Tucker takes him home - a barn and house and ranch and family look that is what Jake has always longer for - and Tucker's father (John Terry) and mother (Cara Seymour) and little sister Cindy (Chelsea Carlson) gradually absorb the mysterious stranger into their home. Jake is given a room in the barn, food, and companionship and eventually a job at the father's train yard company. Jake resists stealing things, encounters Grace (Toby Poser) the next door neighbor who is an unmarried mother and seduces Jake, and Jake meets Tucker's ideal girl Lily Rose (Paz de la Huerta) and encourages Tucker to enter into a physical romance. Tucker introduces Jake to his high school friends, young lads who are fascinated with Jake's knowledge of breaking into cars, hot-wiring autos, and explaining how homes are easy targets for theft. As the story rolls along Jake and Tucker and Lily Rose form a tender relationship, and we gradually discover that most women Jake meets find him not only lovable but also desirable. But Jake's past modus operandi begins to surface and his motives are questioned and in a few surprising turns things turn out against him. Jake is left to continue looking for the mother who has never really 'existed' for him.

Painter knows how to deliver her story with beautiful settings, fine interaction among the characters, and a keen sense on the meaning of family and its importance in becoming an adult. The scenes are at times fragmented with strange kaleidoscopic editing techniques, and unfortunately the dialog is very often inaudible: a qualified sound editor could have altered this critical error and mixed the soundtrack to diminish the music for the sake of hearing the words. But the final feeling of this little film is one of honesty in intention and in production and allows a rather unknown cast to demonstrate some fine ensemble acting. It is a film worth viewing. Grady Harp