Angels in Stardust

I really enjoyed Angels In Stardust. Though the title may sound like it could be a religious film, it is not. It is a coming of age film that includes suspense, intrigue and seemingly impossible dreams. The setting, a town built on an abandoned drive-in movie theater parking lot call Tardust (Stardust with the "S" missing), had me chuckling from the beginning. After the first 20 minutes of character development, the film really opens up. Alicia Silverstone (Tammy) is brilliant in her performance as a white trash mother raising children in a run-down trailer park community. In my opinion, it is her best performance ever in film. She had me crying in a number of emotionally moving scenes. Other times I was feeling shocked at how she treated her children and at her desperate attempts to improve her life. Billy Burk is amazing at fulfilling the roll of the wise Cowboy and AJ Michalka (Valley Sue) is perfect in her role as Tammy's responsible teenage daughter with dreams to be a writer. I was intrigued by the story and how Valley Sue's life weaves between fantasy and reality and at times, I was not sure where she was. The film is a blend of drama, comedy, mystical (or metaphysical) and personal challenge. It contrasts the harsh reality of their poor socioeconomic life with the hope created by the fantasy of dreams.