Synopsis
 Life has not been kind to Catherine. Unloved and mistreated by her parents as a child, she finds solace as a young adult in a CB radio employed at work. It is through the use of this device, for which she adopts the moniker “Darling,” that she hopes to find the man who will take her away from all the misery she has endured. What she finds instead is her worst nightmare—a drunk, abusive husband.
 
 Program Note
 It’s been a rocky road for Catherine. She’s been unwanted by her parents ever since she was conceived. Besides, others often laugh at her because of her homely appearance. Home isn’t exactly ‘Home Sweet Home’ for her. After the death of her brothers, she grows more hostile to her parents. Mrs. Clement, a bakery owner, is her only close friend in this secluded rural village. However, their friendship must be broken off because her parents disapprove of it. Catherine dreams of escaping from this cold, harsh life as she looks at the lights from the trucks speeding down the highway. But then she meets some truckers and she is introduced to the world of radio communication by them; and in this world she meets her Prince Charming. She believes he will whisk her off her feet and they will live happily ever after. However, when she snaps out of her dream and she finds herself in a desolate place where no dream exists. This film, based on the novel of the same title, is a coming-of-age story of a girl with dreams and a life full of hardship and expresses the trapped life of women; this is shown with uninhibited images and with an intense style of filmmaking. There is no twist that suggests a bright new day like any of the old fairytales, but only the vicious circle of poverty and a hard life. The gap between her desire and reality pains this unloved woman physically and mentally. Eventually, this oncean-innocent girl turns into a monster. This film refuses both the stereotypes of a coming-of-age drama and the familiar sentiments of a melodrama. Instead, it casts a stolid eye on the disillusionments and dilemmas in the life of a woman. (Amy LEE)