It’s also a feature film running at SIFF Cinema at the Uptown—née the Uptown Theater–through Sunday. Additionally, Janie Jones is the title character of the film, played by an older-than-her-years Abigail Breslin. Here, Little Miss Sunshine is all growns up as a thirteen-year-old who’s had to mostly take care of herself, no thanks to her meth-head mommy (Elizabeth Shue). Mom dumps her daughter for rehab, and so Janie ends up with the struggling rocker dad Ethan Brand (Alessandro Nivola) she never knew.

So now Ethan and Janie have to learn to relate to each other as family, while also dealing with band politics, money problems, and life on the road. Good think Janie’s a chip off the old block and a burgeoning musical talent as well! Writer-director David M. Rosenthal used his life as a jumping-off point, as he didn’t meet his own daughter until she was ten years old, and you can tell the material is personal. He’s crafted a story that’s true to the rawness of this emotional journey, while the cliches are ironed out by his gentle touch and the chemistry between the two leads.

I’m always impressed with the acting ability of Alessandro Nivola, who has previously sung on-screen in Laurel Canyon, Junebug, and Ken Branagh’s Cole Porter-tinged Love’s Labour’s Lost. Meanwhile, Abigail Breslin had never played music professionally, but she picked up the guitar and learned for the film. Irish singer-songwriter Gemma Hayes wrote the songs played by young Janie, while Eef Barzelay of Clem Snide scored the film and wrote all of Ethan’s songs.

Janie Jones plays at SIFF Cinema at the Uptown through November 6.