Life is hard enough on its own without a system that seems designed to kick you while you’re down. For those people who are just barely scraping by, a minor infraction can be the difference between having a place to lay your head each night, and complete despair. In the new film Tow, a woman fights back when her only means of shelter, her car, becomes the centerpiece of a conflict that threatens to push her over the edge.
Tow stars Rose Byrne, who is having a moment right now with her Oscar nomination for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You. She plays Amanda Ogle, a homeless Seattle woman who enters a grueling legal fight to get her car and her lifeline back after receiving a $21,634 tow bill.
The film is directed by Stephanie Laing (Irreplaceable You) from a script by Jonathan Keasey and Brant Boivin that is based on a true story. Also in the cast are Dominic Sessa, Demi Lovato, Ariana DeBose, Octavia Spencer, Simon Rex, Elsie Fisher, and Corbin Bernsen.
That’s a lot of talent attached to this little film, which speaks to the importance of the message it’s trying to send. Liang highlighted that message in a released statement…
“We made Tow because Amanda Ogle’s fight wasn’t just about a towing bill—it was about the way a woman living in her car can be buried under a $21,634 fee simply for existing in public space. It exposes a broken system that profits from people who often don’t have the means to seek justice. By putting Amanda’s voice on screen, we wanted to remind people that justice thrives in the lives of people and communities who refuse to be erased by a process that depends on their silence, a message that feels more resonant every day. Rose Byrne was the perfect actor to embody Amanda and her fight due to Rose’s combination of vulnerability, intelligence, and defiance, which she manages to wrap in humor and heart. Rose’s performance is grounded in Amanda’s truth, so the audience doesn’t just witness a battle against a corrupt system; they feel the cost of it.”
Roadside Attractions and Vertical will release Tow in theaters on March 20th.
