Feeling confined by their small empty town and unambitious locals, Jasmine and Sarah entertain the idea of moving away to New York.

Review by Julie C. Sheppard:

The short Small Town Girls is a classic tale about big dreams of leaving a humble home town for the excitement and freedom of the big city. The thoughtful set decoration captures the essence of a small town 50’s diner. Colourful floral wallpaper and a gum ball machine, long drinking straws and cups, a sparkly neon sign, and a comfy booth all combine to set the tone of the period.

The matching cheerleading outfits of the two young female leads indicate their time in life — displaying the quintessential high school activity. It would be remiss not to mention the atmospheric soundtrack — Heartbreak Hotel by Elvis Presley was a wildly popular tune of the day. The two leads are perfect foils — one confident with the goal of leaving after high school for big city life in NYC, the other initially shy and hesitant when introduced to the idea.

The subtle sound design works well for the narrative, notably the off camera giggles of the local waitresses, perfect examples of folks living an uneventful life after high school in a place where nothing exciting happens. In contrast, the well written screenplay captures the feeling that in NYC you can take exciting risks — you can be or do whatever you want. Dreaming of this thrilling move is a classic story that never gets old, and the film does a stellar job telling it.