Float Like a Butterfly

Frances (Hazel Doupe) was still little when her mother died and her father, Michael (Dara Devaney), was incarcerated. When Michael is released years later, he decides to pack up the caravan, take the kids, and go a-roaming. Frances is by now a feisty adolescent ready to prove her grit in any ring that will take her, but along with Michael’s troubling penchant for drink come old-fashioned macho attitudes, such as the idea that boys should fight while girls are best off wedded and pregnant just as soon as womanhood looms. Various altercations on the road as well as a ripe old grudge with a bigoted police officer provide Frances with opportunity to prove her abilities. But will the otherwise loving Michael’s sexist views allow her to shine? (Toronto International Film Festival)