Down in the Valley (2005)

Tobe is a rebellious sixteen year old girl living with her younger brother Lonnie and father Wade in Los Angeles in the present day San Fernando Valley. She and her friends are headed to the beach on one sunny, hot afternoon when they stop at a gas station and are greeted and full-served by an attendant named Harlan, who instantly catches Tobe’s eye. She invites him to join them at the beach, but if he does he’ll get fired from the gas station. He goes along with them anyway. Almost immediately they spark up a romantic affair, even though Harlan is twice her age and despite the fact that her overbearing, short tempered father forbids Tobe from seeing him. Wade is suspicious of Harlan, and believes he’s much more than he claims to be. Both Norton and Wood are amazing in this great underrated story. Starring Edward Norton, Evan Rachel Wood, David Morse, Rory Culkin, Bruce Dern, John Diehl, Geoffrey Lewis 7/10