Skateland explores the rupture of charismatic Ritchie Wheeler, brother and sister Brent and Michelle Burkham, and wise-cracking lady-killer Kenny Crawford’s seemingly complacent existence as they struggle with the collapse of their tumultuous home lives, the alcohol-induced idling of reckless adolescence, and the wane of their hometown hangout, the local roller rink. A story syncopated with moments of violent turbulence, of heartbreak and of new beginnings, Skateland immerses the audience in the brutal, but beautiful vastness of East Texas blue skies and the emotional claustrophobia of the Bible belt. Enveloped by the brooding melodies and incendiary rock riffs of the early 80’s, Skateland is a place where aging values wrestle with contemporary pop culture to create a paradoxical balance between old and new. (Source)
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Skateland closes down in 1983 forcing Ritchie to find another job. His parents are getting divorce, and virtually every other relationship in his life is a mess, and he must make adult decisions for the first time in his life and finally grow up. (
A handful of teenagers find the life they’ve known is slipping away from them in this independent coming-of-age drama. 19-year-old Ritchie Wheeler (Shiloh Fernandez) is the manager of a roller rink in a small town in East Texas. Ritchie’s job gives him a chance to hang out with his friends and get paid… for it, but fewer kids are interested in roller skating, and Ritchie’s life increasingly feel like an extension of high school as he parties his evenings away without moving forward. Ritchie’s kid sister Mary (Haley Ramm) and his girlfriend Michelle (Ashley Greene) both think its time he tried to make something of himself, but Ritchie isn’t sure which way to go, even as he sees a disturbing reflection of himself in Brent (Heath Freeman), Michelle’s older brother. Brent left town for a promising career in motorcycle racing until an accident ended his career and now he’s back, drinking beer with his sister’s friends and picking up high school girls. As the roller rink is poised to close and divorce tears apart both Ritchie and Michelle’s families, they find themselves leaving childhood behind while uncertain about what adulthood holds. The first feature film from director Anthony Burns, Skateland was an official selection at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi (