From Richard Peck's novel "Don't Look and It Won't Hurt", starring Brooke Adams in a terrific performance as a single mother of two headstrong young daughters, hoping for a better existence outside of their lives in a backwater town in New Mexico, but not knowing how to go about finding it. Arty, intriguing showcase for some very fine actresses (Adams, Ione Skye and the inscrutable Fairuza Balk), as well as James Brolin in a small but telling role as the girls' dreamy-quiet, estranged father. Director Allison Anders, who also adapted the screenplay, does hit an awkward snag or two in exploring these characters' emotions, but her feel for Nowhere U.S.A. is rich with complexity. Moody and unusual, it's a film worth seeing. *** from ****