Janie Jones (film)

Janie Jones is a 13-year-old aspiring musician. She arrives at a concert with her meth-addicted mother, Mary Ann Jones, a former groupie who once followed the band of Ethan Brand, a washed-up rock star battling alcoholism. Unknown to Ethan, he’s Janie’s biological father, a truth Mary Ann kept hidden for years.

In a desperate attempt to set her daughter on a better path, Mary Ann reveals to Ethan that Janie is his daughter, begging him to take responsibility while she enters rehab. Ethan, recognizing her but pretending not to, coldly rejects Mary Ann's plea and throws her out. During the show, Mary Ann abandons Janie, and devastated, the girl calls the police. With no sign of Mary Ann and her phone turned off, Officer Dickerson informs Ethan and his girlfriend Iris of the situation.

Because of Mary Ann's recent drug possession charge and Ethan's name on Janie's birth certificate, if Janie ends up in state care, Ethan will be labeled a "Deadbeat Dad," which could lead to legal trouble and even imprisonment. To avoid this, Ethan begrudgingly agrees to take Janie on tour, much to Iris's dismay. Janie gets to know Ethan's band: lead guitarist Billy, drummer Chuck, bassist Dave, and manager Sloan. While most of the band is uneasy around her, Sloan is the only one who shows her kindness and support. As the tour continues, Janie's presence and Ethan's erratic behavior cause friction. When Ethan finds out that Iris has been cheating on him with Billy, he drunkenly announces it to the crowd during a show, leading to a fight and the band walking off stage.

Iris leaves him, and the band members scold Ethan for his reckless actions. In a motel, Sloan shows Ethan a video of the fight that's gone viral on YouTube. Ethan, upset, tells Sloan that Janie has to go, but she overhears this and feels heartbroken. As the band continues performing, Janie stays by Ethan's side, but his alcoholism worsens. The two start to bond after Janie plays "House of the Rising Sun," and Ethan starts to open up.

Frustrated with Ethan's behavior, the band members quit, and Chuck punches him. With no band left, Ethan decides to continue the tour solo. Sloan flies back to Chicago, and Janie travels with Ethan in a beat-up car. They begin to form a real connection as they hit the road together. At one show, when the crowd gives Ethan no attention, a confrontation erupts. Janie steps in, performing one of her own songs, impressing the crowd and the venue owner, who offers to sign them as a father-daughter duo. Ethan reluctantly agrees, and Janie is overjoyed.

As the duo tours together, their bond deepens, but Ethan's alcoholism remains a problem. During a show, Ethan drunkenly attacks a man who made sexual remarks about Janie. Despite her protests, he's arrested, and with no one else to turn to, Janie pawns their equipment to bail him out. After a tearful reunion, Ethan apologizes for his behavior and reconciles with Janie, but without the money to get their gear back, they turn to Ethan’s estranged mother, Lily, for help. She's disgusted by Ethan’s life choices and initially refuses to believe that Janie is his daughter. Eventually, Ethan convinces her by admitting his true role as a father, and Lily gives them the money.

Back on the road, Ethan opens up to Janie about his troubled past, including the tragic death of his father when he was 9. With the money, they buy back their equipment, and Mary Ann calls to let Ethan know that she’s finished rehab and back home. When Ethan visits, he finds that Mary Ann and her boyfriend have been sober for a month. He apologizes for not being there for Janie, explaining how much she’s changed his life. After a heartfelt farewell, Ethan can’t bear to leave Janie behind. He asks her to join him on tour for good, and she happily agrees.

Months later, Ethan and Janie perform together as a father-daughter duo in front of a large crowd, their bond stronger than ever, as they begin a new chapter of their lives.

• Abigail Breslin as Janie Jones
• Alessandro Nivola as Ethan Brand
• Elisabeth Shue as Mary Ann Jones
• Brittany Snow as Iris
• Peter Stormare as Sloan
• Joel David Moore as Dave
• Frances Fisher as Lily Brand
• Frank Whaley as Chuck
• Rodney Eastman as Billy

David M. Rosenthal was inspired to make Janie Jones based on the experience he had meeting his daughter for the first time when she was eleven and he was thirty.^[2] Abigail Breslin got the script while filming Zombieland, and was interested in the story and its title character. Adding that, the musical aspect was initially "nerve-wracking" when it came to professionally singing and playing guitar, but soon came to like it.^[3][4] Alessandro Nivola was given the script after shooting Coco Before Chanel in France for four months, and found it a great departure from the previous film he worked on due to the music grabbing his interest.^[5] Filming began in September 2009 at Des Moines, Iowa.^[6][7]

The film's soundtrack was released on October 11, 2011^[8] featuring songs written by Irish singer-songwriter Gemma Hayes and Israeli-born American Eef Barzelay. The songs on the album are performed by Abigail Breslin, Alessandro Nivola, Patrick Watson, William Fitzsimmons and Gemma Hayes.

Janie Jones premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 17, 2010.^[9] It was acquired by Tribeca Film after its premiere at TIFF and was screened at their festival on April 29, 2011.^[10][11] It was originally given a Summer 2011 theatrical release, as well as on video-on-demand and other platforms, but had a free screening on October 11 and was given a limited release on October 28.^[10][12][13] During its weekly run, the film grossed $3,297 from two theatres, averaging $1,648 per theater, and ranking number 103 at the box office. It garnered a total gross of $6,480 after 10 weeks of release, with a widest release of two theatres.^[1] The film was released on DVD on January 31, 2012.^[14]