Sundance Film Festival (World Premiere)–Written and directed by Steve Berra and set in present day Nebraska, “The Good Life” is grounded in the rich cinematic legacy of Small-Town America.
In this Nebraska small-town, football means everything. Main character, though, is Jason Prayer (Mark Webber), a guy who doesnt play football. Jason works two jobs, at a gas station and at night at the Capitol movie house. The once grand theater is owned and barely operated by Gus (the great vet actor Harry Dean Stanton).
Jasons life becomes complicated, when Gus teeters on the edge of dementia. While he is tormented by speed freak ex-football star Tad (a nearly unrecognizable Chris Klein), he is tentatively courted by the beautiful and mysterious Frances (the always charming Zooey Deschanel), and awkwardly befriended by Robbie (Bill Paxton), the new guy in town who happens to (you guessed it) love old movies.
Steeping his film in the themes and motifs of the rich literary and cinematic tradition of Small-Town America, Berra shows penchant for describing the unexpected details in the behaviors and feelings of his offbeat gallery of characters.
Mark Webber delivers a brave performance that renders a new meaning to the screen type of a heartland youth hero, but the whole movie may be too off-beat forits good.
Credits
FarFalla Films
Director-writer: Steve Berra
Producers: Lance Sloane, Patrick Markey, Devin Sloane
Executive Producer: Bill Paxton
Director of Photography: Patrice Lucien Cochet Production Designer: Gord Wilding
Music: Joel Peterson, Don Davis
Costume Designer: Darena Snowe
Editor: Sean Hubbert
Cast
Jason Prayer (Mark Webber)
Frances (Zooey Deschanel)
Gus (Harry Dean Stanton)
Robbie (Bill Paxton)
Tad (Chris Klein)
Andrew (Patrick Fugit)
Dana (Drea de Matteo)
Frank Jones (Bruce McGill)
Daryll (Donal Logue)
Diane (Deborah Rush)
Fred (Michael Baxter)
No MPAA rating, running time: 106 minutes.
