The Poker House , subsequently retitled as Behind Closed Doors , is a 2008 American independent drama film written and directed by Lori Petty , in her directorial debut . Based on Petty's early life during the 1970s, the film depicts a painful day in the life of Agnes ( Jennifer Lawrence ) a teenage girl who is raising her two younger sisters, Bee (Sophi Bairley) and Cammie ( Chloë Grace Moretz ), in their mother's whorehouse .
14-592: The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the characters, writing and performances of the ensemble cast (particularly that of Lawrence) although the plot was criticized. At the Los Angeles Film Festival , Lawrence won an Outstanding Performance Award for her performance. Sarah, a woman addicted to alcohol and drugs, is the mother of three abused and neglected daughters, 14-year-old Agnes, 12-year-old Bee, and 8-year-old Cammie. She has been coerced into prostitution to support her pimp, Duval. Sarah
28-409: A couple of shots and screaming to her mother that he raped her. Sarah tells Agnes that she will defend him. Agnes, a school basketball star, scores 27 points in the second half alone, a record that lasts for years to come. However, she falls when she scores the final basket (field goal), limps to the car, and has a meltdown. She then drives off and finds Bee and Cammie at a nearby bridge. The two get in
42-512: A few friends, playing a game of basketball, and picking up a couple of paychecks from her part-time jobs. Towards the end of the day, Agnes climbs through Bee's window, avoiding the living room, which is full of gamblers, pimps, and drunks. Bee has locked herself in her room, and like Agnes, avoids the downstairs chaos. Agnes makes Bee leave the house, telling her not to come back for a while. Later that evening after Duval and Agnes begin kissing, Duval then rapes her. As Duval releases her, she runs to
56-518: A variety of panels, seminars, and free screenings. It also screened short films created by high school students as a part of the Future Filmmakers program. Films submitted to the Festival were reviewed by Film Independent's programming department, which evaluated each film. Awards are given out in the following categories at the conclusion of the festival: Raleigh Studios Raleigh Studios
70-598: Is a studio facility located in Hollywood, Los Angeles and has been under the ownership of Raleigh Enterprises since 1979. The location has been active since 1915. Before Raleigh, the studio was run by Famous Players Film Company , Producers Studios, Clune Studios, California Studios, and others. Raleigh "has no identifiable brand or logo", serving as a rental space for numerous films both before Raleigh Enterprises ownership and afterward. Author Tom Ogden describes Raleigh Studios as "an independent studio, unaffiliated with any of
84-481: Is unable to care for the girls, forcing Agnes to take responsibility for her two younger sisters. Sarah's house has become known as the Poker House, where neighborhood pimps and criminals gather to play poker, as well as buying sex. Agnes believes Duval is her boyfriend and that he loves her, despite being much older and his abuse towards her mother. Agnes wakes Bee and prepares her for her paper route. Cammie has stayed
98-825: The LA Film Festival moved to ArcLight Cinemas in Culver City and Hollywood, California. In 2017, it expanded to ArcLight Cinemas in Santa Monica. In 2018, the LA Film Festival further expanded and added the WGA Theater as a venue. It also partnered with the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts to screen films there. Over the course of nine days, the festival screened nearly 200 features, shorts, and episodes. The event also included world premieres of films,
112-437: The bathroom to clean herself, horrified by the thoughts of the violence and possibility of pregnancy. She is completely traumatized. Her mother enters the bathroom, and as Agnes reaches for her in utter distress, Sarah refuses to touch her, and instead tells Agnes to go to the store to pick up alcohol. Soon after, Agnes overhears Duval telling Sarah that he will begin pimping and selling Agnes. Agnes threatens to shoot Duval, firing
126-550: The car, with Agnes not telling her young sisters of events that took place that evening, and instead takes them to get dinner. Cammie then plays " Ain't No Mountain High Enough ", and the three girls sing together. Agnes later leaves Iowa to go to New York and become an actress and artist. Some 20 years later, she is shown to have directed the movie, revealing the movie is the true story of director Lori Petty's childhood. Jennifer Lawrence's father, Gary Lawrence, appears uncredited in
140-753: The festival moved to the Regal Cinemas at the L.A. Live complex in downtown Los Angeles, with additional screenings at several other downtown venues including the Downtown Independent, the Orpheum Theatre , and the REDCAT Theatre. The Festival also has a long tradition of screenings at the open-air John Anson Ford Amphitheatre in Hollywood. Free screenings were scheduled at California Plaza , in conjunction with Grand Performances and FIGat7th. In 2016,
154-723: The film as the basketball coach of the other team. The Poker House has received mixed reviews from film critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 63% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 8 reviews, with an average score of 6.2/10. Los Angeles Film Festival The LA Film Festival was an annual film festival that was held in Los Angeles , California, and usually took place in June. It showcased independent, international, feature, documentary and short films, as well as web series, music videos, episodic television and panel conversations. The LA Film Festival
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#1732854860629168-467: The night at her friend Sheila's house. It is revealed that before they left their father, who was a preacher, he used to beat Sarah and the girls. The four fled, and Sarah, struggling to take care of the girls on her own, became a prostitute after meeting Duval. Bee speaks of moving into a foster home, hoping to be adopted. Cammie spends the day at a bar, making friends with Dolly, the bar owner, and Stymie, an alcoholic. Agnes rides through town, talking with
182-633: Was a qualifying festival in all categories for Film Independent's Spirit Awards . It was also a qualifying festival for the short films categories of the Academy Awards. Since 2001, it had been run by the nonprofit Film Independent, which since 1985 has also produced the annual Independent Spirit Awards in Santa Monica . The festival began as the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival in 1995. The LAIFF ran for six years until it
196-607: Was absorbed into Film Independent in 2018. The first LAIFF took place over the course of five days in a single location: the historic Raleigh Studios in Hollywood . In 1996, the LAIFF expanded to include the Directors Guild of America Building in Hollywood. In 2001, the festival became part of the organization Film Independent (formerly IFP/West). In 2006, the Los Angeles Times became the festival's main media sponsor. In 2010,
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