USA,
1997, 72 min
Plots(1)
Riding the Rails tells the unforgettable story of the 250,000 teenagers who left their homes and hopped freight trains during the Great Depression. Featuring a foot-stomping soundtrack of such folk greats as Jimmie Rodgers, Woody Guthrie, Doc Watson, Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry, Riding the Rails vividly combines the clear-eyed memories of witnesses with archival footage of teens riding atop speeding trains and newsreel interviews with lean-bodied kids full of bravado. Striking in its detail and depth of emotion, Riding the Rails is that rare film that will inform, dazzle, and profoundly move its audience. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Awards
- Winner
- Nominations
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards
- 1997 - Lexy Lovell, Michael Uys (Best Documentary/Non Fiction Film)
Sundance Film Festival
- 1997 - Lexy Lovell, Michael Uys (U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary)