Anita Minteer (Drew Barrymore) is bored with high school. She lives in a trailer with her absentee mother's drunken boyfriend Rooney. She has sex with him as well as many of the boys at school. The teacher assigns the kids to be pen pals and she finds prisoner Howard (James Le Gros). After getting raped by Rooney, she kills him. Howard gets released from Chino. Anita convinces snake preacher and mechanic Hank Fulton (Billy Drago) to give him a job. Mr. Kincaid (Michael Ironside) is his parole officer. Kincaid's daughter Joy (Ione Skye) is Anita's best friend. Anita marries Howard and together fall into violence and mayhem.
This is an exploitation movie with gun, sex and violence. I have trouble with the star-crossed lovers. Their chemistry doesn't quite work. Their age difference is a big part of it. I think Howard should be more of a juvenile criminal. Howard is around the same age as Rooney and that annoyed me. I like Anita's explanation that Howard's letters gave her the confidence to stand up for herself. That is a great basis for their relationship. His age and James Le Gros' looks make them a problematic couple.
This is an exploitation movie with gun, sex and violence. I have trouble with the star-crossed lovers. Their chemistry doesn't quite work. Their age difference is a big part of it. I think Howard should be more of a juvenile criminal. Howard is around the same age as Rooney and that annoyed me. I like Anita's explanation that Howard's letters gave her the confidence to stand up for herself. That is a great basis for their relationship. His age and James Le Gros' looks make them a problematic couple.