‘American Honey’ is a New National Anthem for All of Us

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Rating: 4.0/5.0

CHICAGO – The America we find ourselves in today would never have been imagined by our ancestors. Sure, we don’t have flying cars or robotic house servants but we do have different ways of life. “American Honey” shows the sweet and sour side of my generation’s new American Dream while keeping it infinitely relatable to everyone.

There are those films that have a spirit that transcends any physical attributes like cinematography, pacing or even story. It encompasses all of these things, but is not just defined by them. It is the contagious charm and effervescence that embodies the soulful essence of youth. “American Honey” perfectly embodies the new experiences of our youth, like our first love, our first taste of true independence and also our first heartbreak. The beauty behind the film stems from how relatable every experience is despite its specific circumstances. If for some very unlikely reason you can’t identify with any of the characters emotionally, there is no escaping the empathy it brings out in everyone.

Sasha Lane in ‘American Honey’
Photo credit: A24

Writer/Director Andrea Arnold may be from the UK, but with her previous experience directing episodes of “Transparent” and writing/directing the film “Fish Tank”, she has shown she understands the changing and evergreen experiences of this generation’s adolescents. Every relationship, romantic or otherwise, is developed slowly and with care. With an almost 3-hour run time, “American Honey” takes the time to masterfully craft each person’s budding romance or friendship in a meandering, but naturalistic pace. This technique allows for the audience to create attachments and empathize with Star, but also to become concerned, almost critical of the direction of your life. We feel the need to project our life experience on the similar situations she is facing, but end up feeling a sense of catharsis when she discovers, like we did, that we are a culmination of our experiences, including the educational mistakes.

Arnold’s narrative style is as methodically scripted as it is visually sumptuous. Throughout the film, we are taken on a tour of small town America. The trip serves a purpose beyond character exposition and bonding. It is meant to mark the transition from adolescence to adulthood and the emergence of a personal identity. The natural beauty of every location is meant to mirror Star’s effortless glamor. Star’s spirit echoes the wild, untamed spirit of the wilderness and has the same uncompromising nature. Arnold blends the quiet, thoughtful pacing with a landscape-heavy visual tour that almost feels like a Twain-esque raft trip down the river. The scenery makes the entire journey contemplative, providing commentary and injecting emotions without even having to say a word.

“American Honey” is a look into a growing group of people that are being all but shunned by old world standards. The expectations of adulthood mean that you have to go to school, get a degree or find a trade, meet an opposite-sex mate to wed, buy a piece of property to raise two and a half children in and raise them to repeat the cycle. I could give you a history lesson on how the cycle began breaking when a women took the jobs of men during WW2 and then continued with the civil rights movement and marriage equality, all while being helped by increasing unemployment rates and a financial depression and of course the housing collapse. This is far from being your daddy’s American, and the best part of it is the collapsing of those obsolete societal roles. “American Honey” perfectly embodies that aspect of our society, bringing together all of America’s misfits and outcasts to show an alternative lifestyle that is fulfilling even if it’s not society role filling.

Shia LeBeouf in ‘American Honey’
Photo credit: A24

The ensemble cast shines with a high-spirited exuberance that fuels each other’s performance. At the helm is a magnetic performance from newcomer Sasha Lane as Star. Aside from Lane’s contagious energy, she brings a level of sincerity and authenticity to her role, if you can even call it that. There is an undeniable genuineness in her performance that makes it feel like it isn’t a performance at all. It feels completely dynamic and nuanced and adds to the immersive effect of the film. I will definitely be waiting (impatiently) for Lane’s future projects. Another standout performance comes in the form of the Shia LaBeouf, who manages to find his place as a supporting character in stories centering on strong female characters, like he did in “Nymphomaniac” and that Sia music video. His personal “eccentricities” add an unintended layer of depth to his character and make him extremely, even while donning an infuriating, giant rat-tail haircut.

“American Honey” comes as quite a commitment with its almost 3-hour runtime, but this cinematic behemoth delivers a fulfilling, if long, journey to the patiently aimless traveler in all of us. Like the characters, the film finds itself along the way and grips you the entire road trip. I hope you enjoy thing the scenic route.

By JON ESPINO Film & Video Game Critic HollywoodChicago.com jon@hollywoodchicago.com