Watch Gimme Shelter

Gimme Shelter is a 2013 movie that tells the story of Apple Bailey, a teenage girl who has had a rough life. She was raised in a broken home by her drug-addicted mother, June, who never cared for her properly. Apple has been pushed around from one foster home to another with no real sense of home or belonging. As the movie opens, we see Apple running away from her latest foster home, where she was being physically and emotionally abused. She decides to look for her father, Tom Fitzpatrick, whom she has never met. All she has is a letter from him that her mother gave her before abandoning her. The letter contains the address of the church where her father is supposed to be.

At the church, Apple meets Father McCarthy, a kind and compassionate man who puts her up in a home for pregnant teenagers after discovering she is pregnant. There, Apple meets other young women like herself who have had their fair share of life's challenges. They bond and support each other, living together as a makeshift family.

Despite their newfound sense of family, Apple is still haunted by her past and struggles with the emotional baggage her mother left her with. She has trust issues and is unable to connect with anyone, including her father, who is willing to take her in.

Gimme Shelter offers a raw and realistic portrayal of the struggles of teenage pregnancy and homelessness. It is a story of what it takes to rebuild one's life from destitution and find a sense of family and belonging.

Vanessa Hudgens does an exceptional job portraying Apple with a mix of vulnerability, strength, and resilience. She embodies the character with authenticity, making the audience connect and root for her. She effectively communicates Apple's inner turmoil and conveys a sense of hope and redemption as the story unfolds.

Rosario Dawson delivers a great performance as well, playing June, Apple's mother, a woman struggling with addiction and trying to reclaim her daughter's love. Dawson's portrayal of June is raw and haunting. She makes the audience empathize with her character as someone trapped in a vicious cycle of addiction and abandonment.

Brendan Fraser, who plays Tom Fitzpatrick, Apple's father, delivers a heartfelt performance as a man whose life was ruined by his past mistakes, but who is now trying to make things right. Fraser's nuanced portrayal of Fitzpatrick adds depth to the film, offering another layer of complexity to Apple's story.

The movie has a strong supporting cast, including Ann Dowd as Kathy, the kindhearted house mother at the shelter, and Stephanie Szostak as Joanna, the social worker who helps Apple navigate the system. Their performances add depth to the story and highlight the importance of support systems for struggling teens.

Gimme Shelter is a heart-wrenching and inspiring film that deals with topics often deemed taboo. It succeeds in portraying the harsh realities of teenage pregnancy, homelessness, and addiction in a manner that feels both realistic and respectful. The movie is a powerful reminder of the importance of empathy, support, and second chances in changing one's life.

Gimme Shelter is a 2014 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 40 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.4 and a MetaScore of 37.