Broken Hill

A high school student dreams of becoming a classical composer in this Australian drama. Tommy (Luke Arnold), who lives on a Southern sheep ranch with his widowed father George (Timothy Hutton), has his eye on American exchange student Kat (Alexa Vega), who barely knows Tommy exists. Driving home one night, Tommy and George come across an unconscious escaped convict named Kalai (Che Timmins), who they turn over to the police. Later, when Kat finds out that Tommy has access to a truck, she convinces him to chauffeur her around during a night of vandalism, which lands him in jail, where he reconnects with Kalai, who tells him about a prison choir. Upon Tommy's release, he convinces Kat to help him put together a prison band to fulfill their community service requirement with the hope that the project will help him get into the Sydney Music Conservatorium. At first, the pair only attract two participants, but others eventually materialize, and as their repertoire takes shape, Kat falls for Tommy. While the conclusion feels more like wish fulfillment than realism, director Dagen Merrill's Broken Hill is a mostly uplifting teen drama. A strong optional purchase. (K. Fennessy)