ABOUT SCOUT follows a rebellious, pink-haired girl named Scout who convinces a suicidal young man to go on a road trip with her across Texas. They set out to find Scout’s little sister who’s been taken by their estranged carnie father.

ABOUT SCOUT made it’s world premiere at the 2015 Newport Beach Film Festival and has gone on to screen at Woodstock Film Festival, Rome Film Festival, and Savannah Film Festival.

ABOUT SCOUT is written and directed by Laurie Weltz and stars India Ennenga (“Treme”), James Frencheville (Animal Kingdom), Onata Aprile (What Maisie Knew), Danny Glover (Lethal Weapon), Nikki Reed (Twilight), Jane Seymour (“Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman”), and Academy Award winner Ellen Burstyn (Requiem for a Dream).

*****

Recently, I had the opportunity to watch the latest coming-of-age indie film from Breaking Glass Pictures and Reel Red Films. The film is led by India Ennenga who is so compelling as the lead character, Scout who finds herself growing up fast with her parents out of the picture and a grandmother too ill to take care of Scout and Scout’s little sister.

Scout’s devotion to her sister is my favorite part of this entire story. The love that drives Scout forward is so pure and so fearless and never does she hesitate to do whatever it takes to keep her family together. Scout tries to be the head of the house as best she can but soon enough, child services comes around and Scout makes a run for it.

I enjoyed the story developments and watching Scout’s journey meet up with Sam’s journey, Sam who recently attempted suicide and was put into a psychiatric hospital by his parents. He makes a run for it too.

What’s refreshing about this is that it’s not a love story in the way that you might predict. Scout is fifteen and Sam is old enough to rent a car and though they come to love each other, it doesn’t feel romantic at all. Of course, only after Scout tries to make it known that she’s open to that. Sam shuts her down and from thereon out, it’s a kindred spirits. And that was refreshing to see.

There’s something about two lost souls trying to find reason alone, together that draws viewers to films like this. You know the tropes of the story but in different ways, you can connect to many of the characters… and it’s what drives them and it’s hope that enables us to relate and root for them. About Scout is that movie that we root for.

ABOUT SCOUT releases in New York City, Los Angeles, and Toronto and releases on iTunes, Amazon Instant, Vudu, Google Play, Xbox, and Cable VOD March 11, 2016.