Tales of an American Hoodrat

Inspired by true events, Tales of an American Hoodrat follows the lives of four delinquent teenagers as they struggle to overcome their toxic environments and self-destructive tendencies. Told from the perspective of Leighton Harper, a lost and impressionable high school senior, who introduces the audience to his three equally irresponsible friends during an end of the summer house party. Kaden, a short-tempered narcissist, is also Leighton’s best friend and biggest negative influence. Jaren, the loud mouth of the group, does whatever he can to showoff, even if it compromises his own well-being. Terron, the ladies’ man, attempts to be the voice of reason among Leighton’s friends, while dealing with his own personal issues. Together, these four hoodrats live their days of adolescence by their own set of rules, before realizing the consequences that can quickly follow. It becomes apparent that Leighton and his friends are dealing with a lot more than they’d like to lead on. Kaden, for example, is tested daily by his stepfather, whose sole purpose is to get rid of his degenerate stepson. Jaren appears to have little to no parental guidance and Terron’s love life begins to cause problems for not only himself, but the rest of the group as well. Feeling lost amongst his friends and the world around him, Leighton also faces adversity in his own home. Constantly being overshadowed by his older brother, drama being stirred up in school from his sister’s choice in men, and an overbearing mother who seems to never stops arguing all contribute to testing Leighton’s patience. (Orlando Film Festival)