Little Birds: How far would you go?. 15 year-old Lily (Juno Temple) and her best friend Alison (Kay Panabaker) live on the shores of the Salton Sea among rundown trailers parks, rotting household items, drained pools and decaying streets. What was once an oasis for the wealthy and famous has become a near ghost town, leaving its residents fighting for breath in the deep end. Lily feels eternally claustrophobic and rebellious, living with her manic, single mother (Leslie Mann), clinging to hope for something more exciting than visits with her young and already washed up Aunt (Kate Bosworth).
The town is hardly a fitting backdrop for Lily, who is sprinting with unwavering determination toward adulthood and plotting her escape. And though Alison is content with her life, sheltered in their small town from the uncertainty of growing up, Lily hopes their strong bond with be enough to coax Alison to join her in breaking free from the constraints of their hometown.
When they meet a few visiting street kids, the girls’ bond is finally tested and Lily convinces Alison to follow the boys back to Los Angeles. Not intimidated by the journey ahead, Lily is hopelessly drawn to one of the boys and the freedoms of their lifestyle. But in the big city, Lily and Alison quickly fall into the boys’ world of scams and petty crime.
Lily is determined to stay and make it work, while Alison is overwhelmed and eager to return home. When an idea is hatched to use Lily as bait for men with money to steal, things quickly escalate to a life-changing moment. Lily must decide how far she will go to grow up and Alison must decide how far she will go to protect Lily.
Writer / director / musician / straight edge activist Elgin James possesses an innate understanding of the fragile characters, born out of his own personal struggles. The official Sundance selection is a brutally honest and stunning portrait of innocence lost.
About the Story
Lily (Juno Temple) and Alison (Kay Panabaker) are best friends living in a poverty-stricken California town near the Salton Sea. The two are complete opposites: Lily, is a suicidal rebellious girl who lives with her single mother, Margaret (Leslie Mann) while Alison is a cautious and careful girl who lives with her alcoholic dad.
Alison finds solace under her uncle Hogan’s (Neal McDonough) automotives and horses while Lily wants to flee her troubled home life as soon as possible. Together, the two girls venture into their secluded town and join skateboarding boys from Los Angeles: Louis (Carlos Pena, Jr.), David (Chris Coy) and Jesse (Kyle Gallner) with whom Lily soon becomes smitten. Before the boys leave, Jesse kisses Lily and writes his number into her arm, which upsets Alison.
Lily asks Alison to borrow Hogan’s truck so they can meet up with Jesse and his friends in Los Angeles and Alison reluctantly agrees. When they stop at a convenience store, Lily saves Alison as she gets caught trying to return the goods Lily stole for them. The two soon find the three boys and Alison drives them to their place. While walking in the streets, Lily bumps into a hustler and she demands for an apology.
When the man tries to reason with her, David hits him over head with a skateboard and the five run away, leaving Alison in shock. The group settles at the boys’ abandoned rundown apartment where other homeless teenagers resides. Alison tries to warn Lily that Jesse might be more dangerous than they think but Lily refuses to listen. Alison shares an intimate moment with Louis but quickly rebuffs him when he starts groping her.
In the morning, Lily and Jesse break into an empty house where Jesse explains that it used to be his home until his family moved to Arizona but he decided to return to L.A. on his own. Meanwhile, Alison calls her uncle Hogan and apologizes for taking the truck. Hogan urges her to come home and Alison promises to bring Lily back.
Back at the house, Jesse notices Lily’s self-harm scars when they are kissing. He is intrigued by her suicidal demeanor and also reveals his scar from his chest to make Lily feel better. David discovers a dating website and convinces a hesitant Jesse to make Lily as a bait into scamming and stealing from older men. Lily agrees and meets up with an old man and lures him to their place where the boys, along with a hesitant Alison, threaten the man with a gun in exchange for money before setting him free.
Little Birds
Directed by: Elgin James
Starring: Leslie Mann, Juno Temple, Kate Bosworth, Neal McDonough, Kay Panabaker
Screenplay by: Elgin James
Production Design by: Todd Fjelsted
Cinematography by: Reed Morano
Film Editing by: Suzanne Spangler
Costume Design by: Trayce Gigi Field
Set Decoration by: Rosie Sanders
Art Direction by: J.B. Popplewell
Music by: Elgin James
MPAA Rating: N for pervasive language, some violence including a sexual assault, sexuality / nudity, drug and alcohol use – all involving teens.
Studio: Millennium Entertainment
Release Date: August 17, 2012
Related Link: View the Full Production Notes for Little Birds
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