Walter Dalton Movies
A bored and blasé man of faith hits the road and encounters some strange surprises along the way in this independent comedy from filmmaker Todd Rohal. Father William Smoortser (Steve Little), known to his colleagues and students as Father Billy, is a Catholic priest who seems to have become disenchanted with his work; he'd rather tell jokes to his bible study group than actually discuss scripture, and has more interest in the finer points of diner food than Catholic doctrine. Father Billy's superiors decide he needs some rest and recreation, so he invites Robbie Shoemaker (Robert Longstreet) to join him for some camping and canoeing. Robbie used to play guitar in a heavy metal band and was engaged to Father Billy's sister, and to the priest he's always seemed like the epitome of cool. Robbie and Father Billy hit the river and soon have traveling companions in a pair of young Asian women who call themselves Tom Sawyer (Koko Lanham) and Huck Finn (Miki Ann Maddox). But it isn't long before the travelers become lost, and the journey becomes increasingly surreal as Father Billy learns some surprising secrets about Robbie. The Catechism Cataclysm was an official selection at the 2011 South by Southwest Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Steve Little, Robert Longstreet, (more)
Old Joy director Kelly Reichardt crafts this intimate tale of Wendy, an alienated Indiana woman who packs up her car and sets her sights on Alaska, but finds herself stranded in a small Oregon town with no money and only her faithful dog, Lucy, to keep her company. When Wendy realizes that there's nothing keeping her in her home state of Indiana, she makes the decision to relocate to Alaska and seek out work at the local fish cannery. With her four-legged friend Lucy in the passenger seat next to her, Wendy stops off to get some rest in a small Oregon town. The following morning, when Wendy attempts to start her car, the engine fails to respond. But this is only the first in a series of snowballing events, because as Wendy waits for the local garage to open she heads to the supermarket to pick up some dog food for Lucy. Opting to shoplift the puppy chow since she doesn't have much cash to speak of, Wendy subsequently finds herself in the local jail thanks to an overzealous employee. By the time Wendy pays her fine and gets back to the supermarket, Lucy is gone. Unfortunately the dog pound doesn't open until the following morning, and after receiving some help from a kindly local, Wendy gets some particularly bad news about her car. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michelle Williams, John Robinson, (more)
- 1994
This Canadian family drama follows a yuppie couple as they try to reclaim their hippy idealism to save the life of their young son. Andy and Jayne Blake used to be hippies. Now they are living the yuppie dream in suburban Vancouver. They have two kids and great jobs. When their son Max is given six months to live after being diagnosed with a rare immune disorder that may have been caused by environmental toxins, Andy and his family escape to rural British Columbia where they buy a farm. As Andy reaches back into his past for natural cures and his old idealism, he becomes increasingly fanatical. Jayne who is unsure about all these changes, tries to help him find a balance. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- R.H. Thomson, Denise Crosby, (more)
