Off the Map 2003

     Bo is looking back on her life to 1974 when she was eleven-years-old and home-schooled.  She lives in the desert of rural New Mexico with her parents, Arlene and Charley.  Her mother is an earth mother and her father is suffering from depression.  Charley receives $320 a month in veterans’ benefits and that is their only income. They grow their own food, use an outhouse, no running water, no electricity, they use firewood for heating, they barter for other needs and they hunt through the local dump.  People can throw away very good and useable items.  They haven’t filed income tax forms in seven years because their income is less than $5000 a year.  An agent is sent from the IRS to talk to them about not filing their forms and about what they owe the government. 

     I've seen this before but it is worth a repeat watching.  Charley's depression brings the family down and he doesn't want to see a counselor or take drugs.  It's a relief to have another person as a buffer when the IRS agent comes to see them.  He has an allergic reaction to a bee sting and has a fever for three days.  3 1/2* (I liked this movie) 

 

105 min, Drama directed by Campbell Scott with Valentina de Angelis, Joan Allen, Sam Elliott, Amy Brenneman, J.K. Simmons, Boots Southern.

Note:  Imdb 7.3 out of 10, 70% critic 84% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 3 ½*.

Special Note:  This film premiered at Sundance in 2003 but was not released until March of 2005.