WorldFest 2011 kicks off with Exodus Fall

At least one nationally recognized film critic has great things to say about Exodus Fall, Friday's opening-night attraction at WorldFest/Houston International Film Festival. In today's edition of the Los Angeles Times, veteran reviewer Kevin Thomas describes the "sensitive, highly appealing drama" -- which opens theatrically Friday in L.A.-- as a "graceful, easy-to-take picture" that serves as "a nifty example of resourceful independent filmmaking, with a perfectly blended ensemble cast in well-drawn roles."

The drama, a '70s period piece about three Texas teen-agers who flee their abusive mom (Rosanna Arquette) to live with their grandmother (Dee Wallace Stone) in Oregon,  was co-directed by screenwriter Chad Waterhouse and producer Ankush Kohli --  filmmakers praised by Thomas as "skilled storytellers with a sure sense of structure, a deft way with telling detail and with capturing the exuberant sense of freedom and joy the siblings experience during their journey."  

Dennis Harvey of Variety, the showbiz bible, is a tad more restrained in his praise, noting that the film contains "some stilted dialogue and crudely melodramatic moments," but is "nicely crafted and sweetly engaging overall," with "some poignant moments compensating for various flaws."

You can judge for yourself tonight when Exodus Fall unspools at 7 pm at the AMC Studio 30.