The Hottest State is a 2006 drama film written and directed by Ethan Hawke, based on his 1996 novel of the same name. The film debuted at the Venice Film Festival on September 2, 2006, and received a limited theatrical release in the United States on August 24, 2007. It ran for 5 weeks in theaters and grossed $137,341 internationally. The film was subsequently issued on DVD in December 2007.

Synopsis

The film tells the story of 20-year-old actor William, who falls in love for the first time with an aspiring singer, Sarah. As their love blossoms and languishes, young William reexamines himself and his relationship with his mother Jesse and estranged father Vince.

Cast

Soundtrack

The music score for the film was composed by Grammy-winning musician Jesse Harris. Aside from the inclusion of two score tracks, the album is composed of sixteen original songs interpreted by such musicians as Willie Nelson, Norah Jones, Cat Power, Bright Eyes, and Feist. It was also named one of "The Top 10 CDs of 2007" by the New York Daily News.

Track listing

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 32% of 53 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.9/10, earning it a score of "Rotten". The website's consensus reads: "Despite strong performances and a unique style, The Hottest State is too self-conscious and pretentious to truly succeed." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 45 out of 100, based on 20 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.