Runaway

When life at home becomes untenable, 21-year-old Michael (Aaron Stanford) hits the road with his younger brother, Dylan (Zach Savage), and soon finds a job at a truck stop in upstate New York, where he works to save money so the two of them can make a fresh start. Director Tim McCann alternates between Michael's fugitive life and his troubled past, including his sessions with Dr. Maxim (Terry Kinney), with whom he corresponds by letter, and final days with his parents Jesse (Michael Gaston) and Lisa (Melissa Leo). At the store, Michael reports to Mo (Peter Gerety) and works the nightshift with 27-year-old Carly (Robin Tunney). Both like the new kid, but they also know he's hiding something. Viewers won't find Michael's secret hard to figure out, although Bill True's script never resorts to anything obvious. Runaway feels a bit like a cross between David Gordon Green's Undertow and Kelly Reichardt's Wendy and Lucy (the disturbing ending, however, pulls the rug out from under the proceedings and doesn't feel completely earned). Bolstered by strong acting and striking cinematography, this is recommended, overall. (K. Fennessy)