Jack of the Red Hearts (2015)

A teenage con artist tricks a desperate mother into hiring her as a live-in companion for her autistic daughter.

Director:

Janet Grillo

Writer:

Jennifer Deaton

Stars:

AnnaSophia Robb, Famke Janssen, Scott Cohen

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
AnnaSophia Robb	...	Jack (Jacqueline Ferguson)
Famke Janssen	...	Kay Adams
Scott Cohen	...	Mark Adams
Israel Broussard	...	Robert Adams
Taylor Richardson	...	Glory
John D'Leo	...	Dudley
Maria Rivera	...	Daisy
Sophia Anne Caruso	...	Coke (Bethany Ferguson)
Tonye Patano	...	Miz
Donna Kennedy	...	Dr. Molina
Parisa Fitz-Henley	...	Cynthia
Drena De Niro	...	Elizabeth
Ana Maria Jomolca	...	Foster Mother
Gameela Wright	...	Mrs. Maxwell
Briana Marin	...	Scotty's Companion

Storyline

A streetwise teenage runaway is on the lam from her probation officer. Her name is Jacquelyn, but if you call her anything but Jack, she'll cut you. Needing to lay low, earn money, and gain adequate stability to rescue her 11-year-old sister Coke from foster care, Jack cons her way into a suburban home as live-in helper for their autistic 11-year-old daughter, Glory. Much to her surprise, Jack has a unique ability to connect with the nonverbal little girl. As she positively impacts Glory, the family impacts Jack. Particularly Kay, Glory's mother. As these two scrappy survivors find an affinity with each other, Kay finds in Jack a daughter she can talk to. When romantic sparks fly between Jack and Robert, Glory's 17-year-old brother, we see a group of wounded people poignantly and surprisingly begin to heal each other-just a little bit. But the law catches up, the truth comes out, and Jack is forced to make a choice-to save her own hide, or save someone else.

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Plot Keywords:

overalls | brother sister relationship | mother son relationship | mother daughter relationship | autism | 

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Genres:

Drama | Family

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for thematic elements including teen behavior, language, and smoking

Did You Know?

Trivia

AnnaSophia Robb and Scott Cohen previously worked together on the short lived TV show The Carrie Diaries (2013).

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Quotes

Kay Adams: That kid... has to wear those
[sound-blocking headphones]
Kay Adams: all the time. He can hear water running through pipes. Lots of these kids have sensory issues. Autism pretty much sucks.

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Connections

References The Miracle Worker (1962)

User Reviews

A powerful film about a form of redemption

Jack of the Red Hearts (2015) was directed by Janet Grillo. It stars Jenny Jaffe as "Jack," who changes her identity so that she can be hired as a live-in assistant by a family with a child with autism. She needs the money, and she needs a safe place to stay. She has no knowledge of how to work with a child with autism, but she is savvy and she learns fast. OK--some of the scenes were a little syrupy, but there was just a small suspension of disbelief required. Most of the scenes looked real and powerful to me.

The movie is fascinating in many ways--it has great acting, especially by Jenny Jaffe, and it doesn't shy away from presenting the heartrending difficulties a family faces when they are raising a child with this disability.

My compliments to director Grillo, and to Taylor Richardson, who plays Glory, the child with autism. Grillo makes the action real, including showing us what Glory sees and hears as she confronts the frightening world around her. Taylor Richardson is an amazing actor. She doesn't drop out of character for a moment. She has autism, and she doesn't let you forget it.

We saw this film at the wonderful Dryden Theatre as part of the High Falls Film Festival in Rochester, NY. It will work well on the small screen.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Instagram

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 May 2015 (USA)

Also Known As:

Jack of the Red Hearts

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sundial Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Color:

Color