... then this is an excellent movie. FB (in an early role) portrays a young teen in a small southwestern town, discovering herself and falling in love for the first time, and meeting her father who has been absent from her life for as long as she can remember. Having lived through a very similar experience to that, I'd have to say that the way it was written and performed was unsentimental and realistic. Ione Skye also shines as the troublesome (and troubled) older sister with the bad reputation, and FB's ongoing attempts to set up her mother (Brooke Adams) with a nice guy are touching and heartfelt. But the movie never descends into saccharine sweetness ... that's the major strength of the script, and the performances. There's very little Hollywood in this flick, but there is a lot of heart, and it's worth seeing more than once.
**** out of *****
**** out of *****