The Florida Project (2017)

"The Florida Project" takes its title from the early name given to what eventually became the Walt Disney World. The movie debuted at the 2017 Cannes festival, and was named one of the top ten films of 2017 by the Atlantic and the New York Times. Three miles down the road from the happiest place on earth, we meet families that struggle to survive in a bright purple, extended stay no tell motel called The Magic Castle. Think broken washers, single moms, food from the back door of the waffle house, and child protection services. Six-year-old trouble maker Moonie and her rebel mother Halley, who sells perfume out of her shopping bag, are the centerpiece of the extended family. For them, and many others at the motel, Room 323 is home. The manager of the Magic Castle, Bobby (Willem Dafoe), talks tough, but in fact he cares for his patrons and has their backs, as much as that is possible. Director Sean Baker said that he wanted to show us the "hidden homeless" in this film, and indeed, through this dramatic comedy he introduces us to a very serious subject.