the audience applauded

Absolutely Fantastic

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

'Home' is the third feature film from independent film maker, Mary Haverstick,who in addition to writing & directing this film from her original screenplay,also edited & co-produced the film. It seems to have something of an autobiographical nature to it. The story concerns a middle aged housewife & mother,named Inga who is trapped in a withering marriage to a type A,stressed out businessman who only seems to care about work. Inga is a cancer survivor,who has had a mastectomy earlier. She is drawn to an old house that constantly reminds her of the house she grew up in as a child. There is constant unhappiness in both their lives. Their daughter,Indigo is caught up in all of this,which makes for some well played out drama. Marcia Gay Harden makes the most of the role she is given. The film also gets some solid support from her co star,Michael Gaston as her cold,distant husband,Hermann,and a winning role from Ms.Harden's real life daughter,Eulala Scheel),who has to contend with her parent's constant bickering & ever growing alcoholism. In addition to the nicely written,but occasionally pedestrian script, the film gets some extra kudos from some poetry from Ms.Haverstick's real Mother,Mary Stuart Haverstick. A few cross references to Ingmar Bergman like influences also make for some nice touches. If I have any quirks with this film,it is the original music score,which seems to contend with some fairly schmaltzy,pseudo New Age drivel (does anybody want to remember the bombastic use of music in 'Winged Migration'from a few years ago?----I thought not). Rated PG-13 by the MPAA,this film contains some adult situations,some of which are fairly disturbing,and pervasive drinking & smoking in front of a minor.