By John Corrado
A homeless woman takes a Seattle tow truck company to court when the 1991 Toyota Camry she’s been living out of gets towed in director Stephanie Laing’s Tow, a based-on-a-true-story dramedy produced by and starring Rose Byrne.
Byrne stars in the film as Amanda Ogle, a recovering alcoholic drifting around Seattle struggling to find work, while sleeping in her car at night. Amanda wants to be able to drive to visit her daughter Avery (Elsie Fisher) in Utah, but is barely able to scrape up enough cash to get by.
In one of those Gift of the Magi scenarios, Amanda gets hired for a job at an animal clinic that requires a car, only to leave the job interview and find that her vehicle has been stolen. When her car is found and taken to an impound lot, she can’t afford the bill to have it released. It’s a vicious cycle; without a car, she has no job, but with no job, she has no money to get back her car.
When Amanda decides to sue the towing company, this begins a months-long legal process, with thousands of dollars in bills piling up the more days her car is left on the lot. She reluctantly accepts the legal representation of Kevin (Dominic Sessa), an earnest young lawyer who is keen to take on sleazy corporations that are screwing people over. Sessa, breakout star of The Holdovers, now code-switching into the role of an eager, precocious young lawyer, is a bright spot of the supporting cast.
Meanwhile, Amanda starts living out of a women’s shelter in a church run by the strict, no-nonsense manager Barb (Octavia Spencer). Barb expects punctuality and sobriety, as well as attendance at group therapy sessions. The cast at the shelter is rounded out by Ariana DeBose, Demi Lovato, and Lea DeLaria, portraying a chorus of downtrodden characters who are all dealing with their own personal problems. Simon Rex also appears in a supporting role as a pencil-pushing employee at the towing company who serves as one of the gatekeepers between Amanda and her car.
The film does struggle at times to find the right tone. Remove some of the salty language, and this could function quite effectively as a faith-based movie. The story beats are satisfying, but it feels like there was a better version of this movie that went a little deeper and darker. There are some awkward tonal shifts, and the film has a gloss to it at times that can make it look and feel more like a TV movie. The stunt casting of pop star Demi Lovato is also somewhat of a distraction, with her delivering some flat line readings.
If it’s a bit uneven in places, on both a tonal and technical level, Tow does have an enjoyable David vs. Goliath quality to it that keeps us mostly engaged. It’s understandable why this true story made for such an appealing movie pitch. The screenplay, co-written by Jonathan Keasey and Brant Boivin, explores the cycles of poverty, but also perseverance, with Byrne’s Amanda doggedly pursuing her lawsuit out of a matter of principle.
Byrne is the best thing about this film, which is being released on the heels of her excellent, Oscar-nominated role in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, delivering another textured and engaging performance as the sardonic Amanda. If her sarcasm can get her into trouble, she also has a hard-won tenaciousness about her that pushes her to keep fighting the big bad towing company. As another showcase for Byrne’s impressive range as an actress, Tow is worth a look.
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