LouHomey From my favorite movies..

Derry Herrera Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

Marva It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Bob This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

napierslogs The great thing about "Off the Map" is how beautifully it tells its simple story. It's about a family, mother (Joan Allen), father (Sam Elliott) and daughter named Bo who live completely by their own means, and well off the main road. Having not paid taxes on the little bit of money they make, an IRS agent (Jim True-Frost) comes to find them.It really is just a character study, primarily about the daughter as she watches the interactions of the adults around her and what she really wants out of life, and about the IRS agent who learns about himself by meeting these people who live their life in a way he never realized.It's an independent drama driven by a simple narrative and simple shots. The characters aren't all investigated as they probably should have been, and it does move very slowly. But for those who like sitting back and just observing characters, "Off the Map" is well done. I was particularly impressed by Jim True-Frost's performance, and the young Valentina De Angelis as Bo.

GeneSiskel This is a sweet movie, a gentle film. On the one hand it is a coming of age picture told in flashbacks, something like the Waltons transposed to New Mexico. On the other hand it is a counterculture picture, a slice of nude-gardening home-schooling bartering-not-banking art-loving don't-kill-what-you-don't-eat hippie life in the desert. Past, present, future, life, and death meet and are reconciled. Demons are exorcised, without much of an on-screen struggle. Life is affirmed and goes on. Memories survive. The actors are fun to watch. Valentina de Angelis, who debuted in this film as the young Bo, is adorable and an actress well beyond her years. Sam Elliott, who debuted in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (and later married that film's female lead Katharine Ross), is type-cast as a cowboy, for good reason. Joan Allen is a character actress with a broad range; here she functions as the hippie soul-mate of a lost IRS field employee played by Jim True-Frost. J.K. Simmons is also a versatile character actor, so versatile here that I did not recognize him in his role as George. This a very good independent film. Do not focus too closely on the resolution. Just enjoy it.

moloneys-1 What I really want to know is if the artist was killed by accident or on purpose?????????? My friend and my husband both think it had to be by accident, I say she was a herbalist and she must have known and I think her husband did also. All three of us loved the movie. I liked the way it dealt with depression, that you can come out of it and that there is support, either in friends, family or therapy. Loved the acting. The movie made me feel as though I was there in the house and on the homestead with real people. I could actually forget I was watching a movie and felt involved. I am from the southwest and the dialog was so real I felt I knew these people before in my earlier life and they talked my language.

ricecakegeisha The writing was poetic, real, human. I have been recommending this movie to every lover of film and words that I know. There were sections of the script which sounded like poetry, and yet, retained a natural flow. I especially liked many of the scenes with the character George. The boat scene seemed a little over the top, but the filmmakers even pulled that off. Hopefully, Off the Map will rock the careers of some talented people and put them On the Map in terms of job opportunities and film viewers' expectations. I know I'm going to look up Joan Ackerman as soon as I complete this to see what her other writing credits include. If you're more concerned with characterization and meaningful dynamics between people than with yawn yawn action, see this film and listen closely.