In this wrenching saga of drug dealing and drug addiction in middle America, there was a concerted effort to convey a realistic environment.
Set in the hardscrabble world of Leeville, Illinois and based on a true story, Patsy McCartle is struggling to make ends meet as a single mom. She and her two boys, Jason and Kevin, were left to go it alone when their father Jack was a lineman and died on the job.
Desperate to care for her youngsters, especially little Kevin who is an asthmatic, Patsy begins work with her friend Carey in making deliveries for a local drug dealer. She becomes hooked on meth and spirals into a near catatonic state when forced to confront her addiction. Through drugs, Patsy has unwittingly made life much worse for her two boys.
The filmmakers juggled the realism of Patsy's addiction and painful period of withdrawal followed by her participation in a sting operation to nab the contacts of the local drug kingpin, Hopkins. The location filming in winter added to the grim realities confronting Patsy.
Diane Keaton was excellent in the leading role, and the two young actors playing the boys were superb. The closing captions sought to offer a rosy picture of the future of Patsy and the boys as they enter a witness protection program.
The impression was given that the drug situation was cleaned up in Leeway. Yet for middle America, the tragedy of methamphetamine addiction has continued for decades after the making of this well-crafted drama.
Set in the hardscrabble world of Leeville, Illinois and based on a true story, Patsy McCartle is struggling to make ends meet as a single mom. She and her two boys, Jason and Kevin, were left to go it alone when their father Jack was a lineman and died on the job.
Desperate to care for her youngsters, especially little Kevin who is an asthmatic, Patsy begins work with her friend Carey in making deliveries for a local drug dealer. She becomes hooked on meth and spirals into a near catatonic state when forced to confront her addiction. Through drugs, Patsy has unwittingly made life much worse for her two boys.
The filmmakers juggled the realism of Patsy's addiction and painful period of withdrawal followed by her participation in a sting operation to nab the contacts of the local drug kingpin, Hopkins. The location filming in winter added to the grim realities confronting Patsy.
Diane Keaton was excellent in the leading role, and the two young actors playing the boys were superb. The closing captions sought to offer a rosy picture of the future of Patsy and the boys as they enter a witness protection program.
The impression was given that the drug situation was cleaned up in Leeway. Yet for middle America, the tragedy of methamphetamine addiction has continued for decades after the making of this well-crafted drama.