Chicago Critics Film Festival Review – The Short Story of the Long Road

Sabrina Carpenter proves she is one of Hollywood’s brightest up-and-coming actresses in The Short Story of the Long Road, a quiet little road movie about finding your place in the world.

Teenage Nola (Carpenter) has grown up living out of a van with her charismatic father, Clint (Steven Ogg); two nomads against the world. When tragedy strikes, Nola must confront the reality of life on the road alone. She’ll need to take the wheel for the first time learning to own her grief, her past and her new destination.

Carpenter carries this film.  Being in nearly every scene of the film, we watch a young girl use her wits and tough attitude to survive on the road alone as well as grow into a woman right before our eyes.  Nola is a girl lost in this world, having only relied on her father for everything.  He taught her everything about the world, but when he can’t be there for her, she must make her own path and go her own way and find out who she is.  This is a coming of age story about finding yourself and Carpenter makes sure to convey that to us.

The Short Story of the Long Road is a film that teaches us that our home may not be on specific spot, but the place that makes you feel the happiest.  Whether that is with a family member or traveling the roads with no destination, you go where your heart takes you.  Led by a star-making performance by Sabrina Carpenter, this is a small film with big messages about finding yourself.

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