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American Honey is an off-beat coming of age drama, that follows Star (Sasha Lane), a misunderstood eighteen-year-old and a crew of sale associates as they travel across America selling magazine subscriptions. The film’s foundation rests upon themes of love, adventure and self-discovery. The film colorfully sets the mood with its expressive cast and an equally appealing soundtrack.
American Honey: An Instant Classic
American Honey is an off-beat coming of age drama, that follows Star (Sasha Lane), a misunderstood eighteen-year-old and a crew of sale associates as they travel across America selling magazine subscriptions. The film’s foundation rests upon themes of love, adventure and self-discovery. The film colorfully sets the mood with its expressive cast and an equally appealing soundtrack.
Star
is constantly in a battle with herself as she attempts to do what's right, but
also stay afloat. This battle takes place from the first few scenes, as she is seen taking care of two children and living in a unfavorable environment. As the film continues, this battle also continues when she must choose to continue to support the children or move on. She's established as a trusting
character who goes with her instinct more often than not, but as the stakes get
higher this quickly changes. She becomes more involved in her new reckless
lifestyle and her character begins to evolve.
One
thing that becomes apparent early on in the film is Star’s dependence on Jake (Shia LaBeouf).
The foreshadowed "love at first sight" appeal is made clear with the
backdrop of Rihanna’s “We Found Love,” and the dance number that Jake does to
attract Star. Due to her relationship with an abusive male figure in the beginning of the film and the lack of positive male
attention in her life, when she finds love with Jake she falls hard and fast. She uses this "love" to escape her current situation. Multiple characters in the film notice the attraction, and a change in Star's
mood based on the current status of her and Jake's relationship.
Star’s
interaction with other men throughout the film is at times uncomfortable to
watch. A few instances in particular were more disturbing than the others. Her
adventurous nature had me gripping the edge of my seat every time she boldly
climbed into a truck with a stranger or sassed the leader of the pack, Krystal (Riley Keough). I couldn’t help but
feel a pang of fear for her, and often found myself hoping that she would
conquer the new obstacle like she had previously done before. I found it hard
to believe that each time Star decided to jump into a car with a random
stranger, she happened to return to the group in one piece. Her naivety was one
of her biggest weaknesses in the film. Even after her risky behavior is
explained, the audience can’t help but breathe a sigh of relief that she makes
it out alive, but also scold her for her dangerous behavior. These particular
occurrences were fantastical and slightly unrealistic, considering the extremity
of some of the choices she made.
Without
Star’s rebellious streak and her intense on-again, off-again relationship with
Jake, the film would not be as intriguing to watch. In the movie, her
confidence and self-worth increases with each magazine sale, but even more so
with extra attention from Jake. Watching Jake’s character develop, was just as
rewarding as seeing Star’s development. The conflict between staying
loyal to Krystal and following his heart with Star, shows throughout the film.
Jake’s façade is quickly broken down, and he becomes more human in the eyes of
the audience as his layers are revealed to Star. He is often misunderstood,
but also becomes one of the more beloved characters as he begins to focus less
on himself and more on taking care of Star. His selfless actions become one of
the most important aspects of his character development.
The
journey was a repetitive one as Star and an array of characters traveled from
locations ranging from oil-rich counties to poverty stricken neighborhoods,
peddling magazines. The movie would have been just as fulfilling if the cast
traveled to a couple of places for an extended period of time, rather than city
hopping. This extended the movie to a point that may have been a bit excessive,
but also added an extra layer to the film. While the movie was
extensive, I understand the director’s choice to not cut some of the longer
establishing shots, or personal moments between Star and Jake. The prolonged
scenes allowed the audience to fully take in the environment and experience
Star’s adventure with her.
The
soundtrack served as an important backdrop for the film. The hip-hop tracks, R&B
ballads, and pop hits complemented the emotional roller coaster that the characters
went through in the film. The themes of finding love and following your dreams,
was again reflected by Rihanna’s “We Found Love.” The importance of
self-discovery was made apparent with this repetition as well. The theme of money was also stressed by Krystal and reinforced by many of the hip-hop tracks.
The
ending of Star's journey was open-ended. Her connection with Jake seemed to
remain intact as she is given a gift by him, but her place with the band is up
in the air. The symbolic releasing of the turtle, is assumed to be her embracing
her freedom, and possibly the release from the magazine group. Her escape into
the river serves as a symbolic cleansing after partaking in risky behavior that
went against her morals. The scene also showcases her new level of maturity, as
she has beaten her fear of drowning. The unclear ending leaves room for the
audience to interpret if Star will continue to let the need for survival guide
her, or finally follow her dreams.
American Honey (2016)
Director: Andrea
Arnold
Writer: Andrea
Arnold
Starring: Sasha
Lane, Shia LaBeouf, MaCaul Lombardi
Run-Time: 162
minutes
