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Feb 21, 2014 By Austin Trunick Web Exclusive

Playboy Jay Wheeler (Scott Speedman) is the disgraced son of wealthy southern family; he lives in Los Angeles, mopping floors at a mental health facility while getting thrown out of strip clubs and raking in thousands in gambling debt. When a mobster loan shark tells him to pay up or get clobbered, Jay finds a scam to help him pay back his lender. He sees his little brother’s wedding as a perfect opportunity to get back into his family’s good graces, and get a cash bailout from his rich parents in the process. He lies to his mother about his career prospects, and makes up a girlfriend to appear as if he’s taking life seriously. But when he needs to present a date at the wedding, Jay’s only option is to turn to a pretty, escaped metal patient (Evan Rachel Wood), a young woman who’s spent her entire life closed off from the outside world and caring for her schizophrenic mother.

Andrew Fleming’s Barefoot follows an expected Pretty Woman-esque path, but it’s quite charming along the way, and the oddball premise helps it feel fresh. When the film turns into a mismatched road trip half way through, there’s ample opportunity for the pair to fall for each other, which never feels forced. Speedman manages to make his alpha asshole character feel misunderstood, and Wood plays her naive shut-in without going too far over-the-top with the quirks. While it may not subvert many familiar rom-com tropes, Barefoot is delightful in its feel-good sweetness; Speedman and Wood make it hard to resist enjoying the ride.

www.barefootthemovie.com

Author rating: 6.5/10