film

Gasoline Rainbow is a loose-limbed, sun-drenched American road movie that captures the restless energy of youth on the brink of adulthood. Directed by brothers Bill Ross IV and Turner Ross, the film follows five teenagers from small-town Oregon who pile into a battered van and set off for the Pacific coast in search of a legendary beach party they’ve heard tell of online.

An intriguing blend of documentary spontaneity and loose scripted structure, the Ross brothers cast real teenagers who play versions of themselves. In the wrong hands, this could be a risky way to do things, but the result here is a deliciously raw and authentic experience. Conversations drift from dreams and anxieties to friendships, love and the uncertainty of life after high school as the group hitch rides, meet strangers and wander through forests, highways and empty towns. A beautiful, heartfelt snapshot of a fleeting moment in late adolescence suspended between freedom and the responsibilities of adult life.