Gina Catalano
Arts Editor
Since graduating from High School Musical, Vanessa Hudgens has evolved to more serious and dramatic roles.
From the fantasy/action film “Sucker Punch” to the comedy/drama “Spring Breakers,” Hudgens latest character is the complete opposite of her usually glamorous roles. Gimme Shelter is the latest film from the former teen star and is based on a true story.
16-year-old Agnes “Apple” Bailey has grown up in a less-than-ideal living environment, moving between living in foster care or with her abusive, drug-addicted mother. She makes the sudden decision to chop off her chestnut locks and catch the next bus to New Jersey to find her absent father. Her father has a new life now, complete with a job on Wall Street and a loving wife and children.
After revealing her pregnancy to her father and his new wife, she ultimately ends up in a shelter for pregnant teenagers like herself.
She learns that there is more to life than the one she is familiar with, and she’s determined to give her unborn child a life different than hers.
The soundtrack stands out in the film, piecing each scene together perfectly. From Celine Dion to Lana Del Ray, melodic sounds that resemble a heartbeat and a heart break, each song is placed in accordance with the scene and dramatizes each one.
For an indie film, there sure are some big names attached to this film. Brendan Fraser plays Apple’s father, Rosario Dawson plays Apple’s mother, and James Earl Jones plays the priest that helped Apple after a car accident and leading up to the birth of her child.
Apple shows her vulnerability as a 16-year-old child in several distinct moments in the film. When she prays to God for assistance and breaks down in front of a closed shelter and when she stands up to her mother after her car accident. The character’s vulnerability is more than believable due to the actress that portrays her.
Everyone’s thinking it – “High School Musical” to indie drama? Hold your skepticism, because Hudgens shows a whole new side to her acting.
It’s apparent that she takes the role of Apple seriously, from the New York accent to the hostile manner in which she walks to the drastic haircut.
“Sometimes you have to leave home to find your family” is more than just the film’s tagline; it has much more meaning behind it.
This film brings a message of faith and hope, regardless of where your faith and hope lies. This film is the true story of a young girl, and resembles many other young girls around the world.
However, it shows that these young girls have the opportunity to make the most out of their situation if they believe.
Gimme Shelter is rated PG-13 and currently is playing in theaters via Roadside Attractions.
