We hear and read a lot about youth who are angry and frightened about the ecological disasters that loom on the horizon and threaten their health and well-being. But there have been very few films dramatizing this crisis before this well done coming-of-age drama written and directed by Jenny Deller. It centers around the challenges facing Lauduree (Perla Haney-Jardine), a smart 13 year old who is deeply concerned about the dire straits of the planet and passionate about doing something to save it.

She lives with her irresponsible mother Tanya (Marin Ireland) in a trailer home in a small Illinois town. Lauduree is stunned one day to discover that her mother has abandoned her to become a make-up artist in Hollywood. Stubborn and proud, this resilient young girl carries on her activities at school and her membership in the Science Club run by Ms. Markovi (Lili Taylor), her favorite teacher. The only other student in the club is Neel (Anubhav Jain), a new kid who has a crush on her.

When Greta (Amy Madigan), her grandmother, finds out that Lauduree is living alone, she explodes in anger and orders the girl to move in with her. The teenager is reluctant to leave her ecology project with trees near the trailer. She's even less enthusiastic when Greta announces that she is moving to Florida where her boyfriend Ed (William Sadler) resides. Then Tanya returns home determined to take her daughter back to California. Neither of her guardians seem to care what Lauduree wants to do.

Perla Haney-Jardine puts in a stellar performance as an idealistic and bright teenager who struggles with her options and in one powerful scene vents her anger about the eco-disaster which everyone else around her is ignoring. Amy Madigan as her feisty grandmother and Lili Taylor as her teacher are both at the top of their form as convincing characters in this excellent film.


Special features on the DVD include deleted scenes and the short film "Save The Future"