Treading Water

Somewhere on America’s north-east coast Casey (Angie Redman) is living on a boat and working as a lobster catcher. She’s in a five-year relationship with Alex (Nina Landey), but her wealthy Catholic family, and particularly her mother (Annette Miller), are unable to accept that she’s a lesbian and won’t allow her to bring Alex to their home.

What they don’t realise is that Alex is someone they have already met. She happens to be the drugs counsellor of their younger son, Andrew (Shawn Nee). Andrew is also unaware of his sister’s relationship and even has a crush on Alex.

It’s almost Christmas, and mother wants Casey to come home for the holiday, but without her partner. All the ingredients then for a quirky comedy, but unfortunately this is a rather turgid drama.

If you are, or have ever been, in Casey’s situation you may find this interesting. Someone out there must like it, because Lauren Himmel won “Best Emerging Filmmaker” at the Santa Cruz Festival. There is some believable tenderness between the two leads, but most of the acting is dire. The writing (Julia Hollinger) is flat and cliched, the editing is poor. Perhaps the prize should have been for “Most Clumsily Inserted Flashback”. You’ll recognise it when it comes, if you can stay awake that long.