The Florida Project Starring Willem Dafoe, Brooklynn Prince, Valeria Cotto; directed by Sean Baker; R
By all accounts, 6-year-old Moonee (Brooklynn Prince), the heroine of Sean Baker’s remarkable The Florida Project, should not be having a happy childhood. She lives with her young mother, Halley (Bria Vinaite), who is barely out of her teens herself, in a seedy motel in the shadow of Disney World. The motels and businesses in this tacky stretch of strip malls and tourist traps have names like Futureland and The Magic Castle and Orange World, intentionally meant to evoke (and, in some cases, be confused with) the actual child’s paradise a mile or so away. Halley is a dope smoker, a petty thief, and a hustler, who sells perfume knockoffs and anything else she can swipe on the streets. She brings her daughter with her, because Moonee’s cuteness helps seal the deal. When things get truly desperate, Halley turns tricks in her motel room.
No, it’s not a recipe for a happy childhood, and yet Moonee is happy. She sees the series of motels as her own personal playground, with best friends Jancey (Valeria Cotto) and Scooty (Christopher Rivera)——also children of broken families and poverty——as her co-conspirators. They run around freely, breaking into abandoned rooms and buildings, scamming for free ice cream at the local soft serve, and spitting on cars in the parking lot to see who has the best aim——all done with an incredible sense of mischief, discovery, and fun.
Denne historien er fra December 2017-utgaven av Baltimore magazine.
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Denne historien er fra December 2017-utgaven av Baltimore magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Man With a Plan
The eternal optimism of Thibault Manekin.
SHOWER POWER
Locals let rain gardens soak up the storm.
THE SOFA QUEEN
Stuffed & Tufted’s Samantha Kuczynski relishes being the new face of upholstery.
The Starting Gate
At long last, plans are underway for a new “Home of the Preakness.”
CLEANING UP CITY HALL
Baltimore is the second most corrupt federal jurisdiction in the country. Can a city with our history be reformed?
THE HOMECOMING
For one family, it was time to start living in their house, not just existing there.
SUGAR RUSH
Baltimore gets a fresh batch of home-grown bakeries——and the line forms here.
GAMECHANGER SANDRA GIBSON
Executive Director, SNF Parkway Theatre & Maryland Film Festival
FROM THE GROUND UP
A new build gives a couple a house that finally feels like them.
AFTER GLOW
KEY HIGHWAY