Event
DisOrient 2009 'I Am That Girl'
I AM THAT GIRL: Maxine Lee is the Asian American version of a wannabe Paris Hilton. She lives the American dream funded by her credit cards without any thought to future consequence. By day she works as a disgruntled office worker in an accounting firm making ten dollars an hour, and by night she transforms into the ultimate party girl with her equally fun-obsessed friend, Megan, as they scour Los Angeles looking for the next hot new restaurant or club where they can empty their wallets and drink Cosmopolitans.
When Megan moves back to New York, Maxine goes out with "Noodle," a loner-type she meets in a nightclub bathroom. Noodle tells her about his love for the Sierras, where he plans to go for a week-long trip, and Maxine convinces him to take her along. On the way, Maxine persuades him to cancel his cabin so that they can stay at a four-star luxury hotel instead. Yet when her credit card declines and the cabin that Noodle has booked has since been given away, the two find themselves camping in the woods without the luxuries of modern-day life.
With no credit cards and little cash, the two learn how to survive in the woods by catching fish and sleeping under the stars. At first miserable that she has to rough it in the wilderness, Maxine eventually comes around and starts to enjoy herself. On their journey they meet and hang out with some hippie rock-climbers, and Maxine sees how other people live without the selfishness of materialism. She is stunned by the beauty of nature as she wakes up to the smell of fresh air and to the sound of the rushing river nearby. She also comes to recognize her faults, realizing that her own insecurities and un-fulfillment in life have caused her to turn callous and judgmental towards other people. The simplicity in this experience awakens her to what is important in life and reminds her of who she once was.
During their journey, Maxine falls for Noodle, and she is able to tell him the dark and haunting secret of her past. We learn that her childhood was cut short when Maxine's parents were killed in a tragic car accident and that she was forced to raise her two younger sisters and brother by herself at the age of seventeen. When she was able to pass the torch to the next oldest sibling, Maxine fled to Los Angeles to forget the responsibilities of her past. This led her to the life she lives now, a life full of partying, drinking, and recklessness, which drives her deeper into denial about abandoning her family. Her ability to share this history with Noodle makes her realize how safe she feels with him even as he seemingly becomes more distant and withdrawn. Finally, when Maxine reveals her feelings towards Noodle, she's met with rejection as Noodle tells Maxine that he cannot love her. An unexpected event occurs and Maxine's life is turned completely upside down. Her perspective in life changes drastically, and she returns to Los Angeles a changed person forever.
Part comedy and part drama, I AM THAT GIRL is an unforgettable love story and a truly independent film set against the majestic backdrop of the Sierras.
Director: B. Howard Randall
Film Website: http://www.iamthatgirlmovie.com
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LocationBijou Art Cinemas
492 East 13th
Eugene, OR 97401
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: No |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: No |
| Wheelchair Accessible: No |
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