In last year’s “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,” for which Rose Byrne was nominated for an Oscar, she played a beleaguered wife and mother coping with, among other things, a hole in her ceiling that’s turning her kitchen into a swamp. In “Tow,” Byrne’s character, Amanda, is living out of her car. Which, for as long as she has had it, is pretty dry. Still — not optimal.
Sleeping in the vehicle is challenging, but apparently Amanda has been in this situation long enough to have made it somewhat routine. Every night, she installs a makeshift security system in her Camry’s back seat with a couple of bungee cords and a portable night light.
The less-than opportune situation gets worse. The day after getting hassled for “vehicular loitering” — the movie itself was inspired by true events — the car is stolen, ditched and then towed.
Directed with resourcefulness by Stephanie Laing, the movie tells a story not entirely unlike that of last year’s economic-insecurity nightmare “Night Always Comes.” But “Tow” is sunnier overall. Amanda has abundant humor even when she’s close to hitting bottom, and the movie steers into a “beat the system” narrative that packs some stirring “Erin Brockovich” energy.
Byrne surrounds herself with an expert ensemble: Octavia Spencer as a tough-love shelter worker, Demi Lovato as a musical shelter resident, Corbin Bernsen as a lawyer on the side of wrong and Dominic Sessa as an eager pro-bono lawyer who inspires Amanda to remark “My car is older than you.”
Tow Rated R for language. Running time: 1 hour 45 minutes. In theaters.
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