Electrick Children 2013

As Rachel McKnight, a devout member of a fundamentalist Mormon community in Utah, celebrates her fifteenth birthday, an unexpected auditory epiphany sets her on a journey that will forever alter the course of her life. A chance discovery of a blue cassette containing a cover of “Hanging on the Telephone” by an obscure rock band sparks a fascination within her, and when she becomes pregnant shortly after, Rachel is convinced that her miraculous conception was orchestrated by divine intervention, akin to the Virgin Mary’s own immaculate pregnancy. However, as the truth begins to unravel, her community turns against her, blaming her brother, Mr. Will, for her predicament and forcing him to leave their midst.

Faced with the prospect of a shotgun marriage arranged by her father, Paul, Rachel makes a daring escape to Las Vegas alongside Mr. Will, who has been sleeping in the family’s pickup truck. In this neon-lit city, Rachel finds herself drawn to a group of skaters living together and forming a band, particularly captivated by one individual who wears a shirt emblazoned with a cassette symbol. As she becomes increasingly entwined with their lives, Mr. Will reappears, imploring her to confess to having had sexual relations with someone else so that he can return to their community.

Rachel’s romantic involvement with Clyde, one of the skaters, deepens as they share a tender moment amidst the urban chaos. However, when Clyde offers to marry her, promising together to search for the mysterious man on the cassette tape whom Rachel believes is the father of her child, she finds herself torn between her desire for independence and her longing for familial connection. As tensions escalate, a botched break-in at Clyde’s parents’ house results in Mr. Will’s arrest and Rachel’s flight from the law.

In her desperation, Rachel recalls her mother’s bedtime stories and follows a red Mustang, leading her to an unexpected revelation: the car’s owner, Tim, is none other than the man who recorded the tape - her biological father. This life-altering discovery sets her on a new path, one that will challenge her faith, her sense of self, and her very understanding of reality.

As fate would have it, Rachel makes the courageous decision to return to her community, leaving the tumultuous past behind. Meanwhile, Tim seizes the opportunity to spring Mr. Will from his predicament, driving him out of town in a bid to reconnect with Rachel. Their journey takes an unexpected turn as they stumble upon Clyde, whose trusty van has met its demise on the side of the highway. With Tim at the wheel and Mr. Will by his side, they make their way to the church just as Rachel is preparing to take the sacred vows. In a daring rescue mission, they arrive in style, piloting the iconic red Mustang to the doorstep of the ceremony and whisking Rachel away from her uncertain future. Upon their return to the community, Mr. Will’s confession, recorded on a worn blue cassette, serves as his ticket back into the fold - although Rachel remains steadfast in her conviction that God is indeed the father of her child. Time passes, and Clyde finds himself sharing a tranquil existence with a visibly pregnant Rachel, hand in hand as they stroll along the beach, their love growing stronger with each passing wave.