8/10
Fresh Outta Sac-town
24 September 2023
This is a sleeper that was well steered by its Director Mark S. Allen. Sometimes you encounter these little indie films coming out of backwater cities that create a sense of place. We have seen it with the Pacific Northwest where everything is rainy and grainy. We have seen it with the Deep South where everything is down home and steamy. What about Sacramento - a flat place with a river and a bridge?

This film uses lots of drone shots to get above the flatlands and give Amy's life some welcome dimension. It throws in some obvious CGI clouds above the horizon and let's us all resonate with goofy Zoom calls.

Once you get past all these low budget choices, what you are left with are the strength of the characters in this fable. First and foremost. Alyson Gorske as Amy has a winning attitude (similar to a young Jennifer Aniston) that makes you want to pull for her even as she faces insurmountable news about her mortality. Her sister Mary (played with empathy by Ms Taylor) inhabits her role much more than the average sidekick in a zany comedy. Mary springs into companionship when Amy's fate is revealed and, even though her first pregnancy is a topic to be considered, the movie keeps the focus on Amy and her final redemption. Finally, there is a roster of character roles that color this production upside, downside, left and right side. I had that same feeling of being introduced to funny people as I was watching the Princess Bride movie. Somehow the obvious lack of slickness works to propel the story along.
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