Trying to figure out his own feelings, insecurities, and emotional roller coaster while striving to live up to everyone else’s image of him, 16 year old Luke is failing miserably. It doesn’t help that people’s expectations are unbelievably high, due in no small part to the best-selling book he wrote, Hallelujah, and its devout Christian message. So when his brother Matt “volunteers” to drive Luke on his book tour from LA to St. Louis, Luke isn’t sure this is going to go very well. Luke’s straight-laced, high strung, controlling personality is continually put to the test on the week-long tour, which ends up being a road trip along the old Route 66, with Matt’s girlfriend Alex and her sister, Fran, Luke’s one-time best friend (and secret crush) unexpectedly joining the boys. Every scenic detour frustrates Luke, not to mention his growing anger with Matt’s carelessness, tardiness, and inability to get Luke to his book signings on time. Ever the people pleaser, Luke keeps his frustrations to himself, silently resenting his brother and berating himself for being unable to forgive him at the same time. The bigger issue nagging Luke along this tour, however, is Fran. Fran was Luke’s best friend, a sweet Christian girl until last year when she suddenly changed her look to stark punk rock and her attitude to a seethingly angry “who give a crap”. Fran broke his heart and Luke has been and is unwilling to understand or forgive her for it. Now her reckless behavior, rude personality, and confrontational attitude may not only ruin the tour, but also challenge Luke’s faith, his peace of mind, and ultimately, his perception of himself.
Antony John’s Thou Shalt Not Road Trip is an emotionally honest portrait of a young man trying to find his way into the undiscovered country of adulthood, responsibility, faith, and (hey don’t forget about) understanding girls. Both Luke and Fran, and even the minor characters, resonate with realistic dialog, deftly portrayed emotions and angst, and a humanity that makes it so easy to see yourself riding along with them on this sometimes hard, sometimes funny, but ever-changing journey called LIFE.
- Posted by Cori