Lost on Purpose

5.7
2013 1 hr 44 min Drama

Our story takes place in the fertile, San Joaquin Valley. Fueled by gin and sheer determination, Elizabeth James (Ms. Liz) operates her third generation dairy farm outside the region's domineering co-ops. To help keep the place afloat, she's employed five renegade ranch hands. These boys have put a pin in responsibility and opted to stretch out the party as long as possible. Unfortunately, women, booze, and fisticuffs can only lead to one outcome: trouble. With the dairy farm reporting its third straight deficit year, Ms Liz is attracting some unwanted attention. Delbert Furgeson, the owner of the area's largest co-op, is pushing to buy her out. This only incenses the prideful Ms Liz and starts a volatile feud between the two. Sharing the narrative are the ranch hands.

  • Cast:
    Jane Kaczmarek , C. Thomas Howell , James Lafferty , Aaron Hill , Dale Dickey , Michelle Lang , Octavia Spencer

Reviews

Solemplex
2013/10/04

To me, this movie is perfection.

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Ensofter
2013/10/05

Overrated and overhyped

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Huievest
2013/10/06

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

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Griff Lees
2013/10/07

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

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Skye Mitchell
2013/10/08

In a small town in Central California, we meet five young ranch hands living and working on a dairy farm owned and run by the very capable Ms. Liz. I instantly felt as though I lived there with them on the farm - so vivid are their faces, emotions and dialogue. I became totally immersed in the struggles of these very real human beings. I laughed and I cried, I cheered and I ached.The direction, acting and cinematography are superb. They meld together into something very warm and familiar - with the use of local settings, and that air of closeness so characteristic of rural communities. Everybody knows everybody and then some - which is not always a good thing! The cast is outstanding; the chemistry perfect. It's a wonderful mixture of the happily recognisable and the newly unforgettable.The music score is wonderful. Each piece and song has been selected and performed so well, that they highlight and complement without encroaching. It is a memorable soundtrack that will have you seeking out the artists afterwards.I'm Australian, living half a world away from where this film is set and the story nurtured - but this is my town too. These are my people. These are my struggles. And these are my triumphs. There is a good chance that they are yours too. I cannot recommend this film highly enough. You will be richer for seeing it, and it is one that will stay with you for a very long time.

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William Corden... read 'em and weep
2013/10/09

I like movies where you feel like you're walking along with the cast.Just as the English can do fabulous period movies, the Americans can do equally as well when they pick out small town USA and tell us about the characters and the culture. When they do this AND somehow add fantastic music to the mix then no one does it better. This movie has everything; well structured plot, superb acting and a building of empathy for every role. Even the most minor appearances manage to squeeze out every ounce of emotion, the sheriff in particular is a great performance. Aaron Hill has a young "Jon Voight" quality about him which has me believing that he will be a major star before too long.The bar scenes are again something that only Americans can do and they take you right in as a customer in this movie. Heck I almost ordered a beer! Poignant, loving, neighbourly; all the qualities you see in rural towns are gracefully exploited in this movie, subtly set against the usual pressures of change and race tensions. This is a first class product and I highly recommend that you go see it.

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Orlando Huerta
2013/10/10

This film contains a lot of cinematic memoirs that I used to take for granted. This is why Lost on Purpose got me back on track and made me trust again in the contemporary cinema. The photography is one of the things I fell in love with. I kinda feel this film bring back memories to everyone. And there's a nostalgia around there that has to do with the Town as a main character. It reminds me of those films I used to watch with my dad on Sunday mornings. The music fits perfectly in every single scene. And the performances of the (I must say) very well selected cast are out of this world. It's the first film in years I believe in every character on screen. The script is amazing; hilarious and sad at the same time. It's actually very rare a film can make this happen successfully and Lost on Purpose can do that and even more.I highly recommend this film to everyone out there (specially those who want to feel the magic of the contemporary cinema again). And those who can relate to a town that is very alive and reminds us of home.

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crashcinema
2013/10/11

A beautifully photographed simple yet poignant slice of life story that captures the fight for the American Dream and the dustiness of the new American West. It's a story about survival, loss and determination. Jane Kaczmarek is spot-on with her portrayal of a third generation dairy farmer struggling to stay afloat. As the film progresses , through both story and cinematography, one identify with her struggle and even asking at times, "why doesn't she just sell the farm to the shady, Delbert Furgenson, played by C Thomas Howell. It was great to see Mr Howell in this film. In a lot of lower budget films the presences of a named actor sometimes takes away from story. But not in this film. Mr Howell does a great job portraying the shady land grabber. The hands hired to help Ms Liz are great as men trying to find themselves.

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