Slow-moving and boring story. Cannot determine if characters are drunk, high, stupid, or all of the above. Hard to sit through that for 90 minutes. So many creepers in this film too.

It's 80's Nebraska. Luli McMullen (Chloë Grace Moretz) turns 13 and one of her gifts is a gun. Her mother (Juliette Lewis) takes off with a guy. Luli decides to runaway to Las Vegas. She hitches a ride with rodeo cowboy Eddie (Eddie Redmayne) with a limp. He kicks her out after calling him a gimp. She gets picked up by Glenda (Blake Lively).

Moretz is young doing this sexual character. There is a fun quirky sense that is somewhat irksome. It wouldn't be quite as bad if it does this in a gritty ugly way. Moretz doing Dirty Harry is too playful. Redmayne mumbles a lot. Lively does surprisingly reasonable. The story is a muddle. There are ways to make more sense and make it easier. It may need somebody other than Andrea Portes to adapt her book. The big three leads are ready for their stardom. This is a minor detour.

Contrary to popular critical dismissal and scathing comments about pedophilia and such, this Movie is so delicate in its portrayal of a Red Riding Hood/Dorothy adolescent's brutal coming of age story that it defies explanation as to the outrage.

In a time when just about anything goes in Films and on TV about such essential and disturbing themes that were all but ignored in Hollywood History, or at least vaguely alluded, this 21st Century take is heartfelt, touching, and without exploitation. In fact, most of it is as understated as possible without obligatory Rape and Violence clichés that make one wince and angry.

All the Actors here are memorable and give outstanding performances and the Director and Screenwriter (adapting from Her Novel) give us an independent Gem that will likely buck the negative buzz and become a Cult Movie. This is an understated and underrated Film of subtle and substantial Storytelling and Movie making.