Finding North (1998)

Undescribable Perfection

As Good As It Gets

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

My partner and I saw Finding North right after we first met. It had played the local gay film festival a bit earlier, and I had missed it. It tender story has stuck with us throughout our relationship, fondly recalling our early days.Recently, when we saw a trailer for PS I Love You, we were convinced that movie is the straight version of Finding North. I'm looking forward to seeing how similar the two are and seeing if there's any mention that that director may have been inspired by seeing Finding North.It's great to see John Benjamin Hickey of Love! Valour! Compassion! prior to his series It's All Relative.I hope you enjoy this film as much as my partner and I continue to.

OK, it's not Shakespeare. Gay man repeatedly meets lonely single woman. He is an asshole. She is a magnet for verbal abuse. His lover has died. She is 30 today and still lives at home, has been fired, and dreams of freedom from her parents--irritating Italian NY mother and father who rarely opens his mouth. His boyfriend has left strict instructions via tape to take a trip to Denton, Texas, north of Dallas (hence the title), and bury his childhood belongings which are with an aunt who was like a mother. Sentimental. Charming. Certainly quirky. Both lead performers are excellent. Some of the supporting cast members are not really actors and are less than trained and talented, which gives one a convincing feel of small Texas towns people and New Yorkers who live simple lives. I liked this movie. It is low budget and high quality, fun and frustrating, silly and serious. One character just disappears: a motel owner's hunky son who is seeking freedom from his own mother and finding himself in bed with our heroine seeking freedom of hers. He could have had more of a role at the end. The ending is a surprise and is somehow perfect. Robin Fletcher

This was such a hokey story and worse yet, badly acted by it's leading lady, Wendy Makkena, who just didn't take no for an answer. She truly got on my nerves with her phony accent and if you can imagine just walking into someone's home, unannounced and uninvited, and then proceeds to poke her nose into his closet and such. Follow this with her trailing after him onto a plane to Texas. She just won't give up. I'd have had the police lock her up. Sorry, to me, she was so obnoxious I just wanted to take the tape off. But John Benjamin Hickey, as Travis, one of my favorite actors ["Love, Valour, Compassion"] did what he could to salvage the trite dialogue. He made most of the moments believable as only a good actor can. Why it took him so long to tell the female intruder he was gay, puzzled me. She would have pushed off had he done this. But, then, I guess there wouldn't have been a film had he done so. Then there's Aunt Bonnie, excellently played by Molly McClure, who also salvaged a bad movie with her simplicity and honesty as an actress [Wendy take note]. I loved her. I loved the scenes with her and Travis. They were quiet and filled with such sensitivity. Of course, Rhonda [Makkena] had to intrude once more. She should have stuck with that beautiful hunk Ben, played with sexy appeal by Jay Michaelson [loved the accent] who was very gentle with her when she turned him down [foolish girl]. Let's see more of this good looking guy. So in summary, Kim Powers' script lacked the necessary depth needed to carry this film and director, Tanya Wexler [why are there so many female gay film directors?] did the best she could with the exception of casting Makkena in the role of Rhonda. You had the feeling she would end up just like her mother, who was a mess. Add the nice acting jobs by Hickey and McClure and the gorgeous looks of Michaelson and it's worth watching for them alone, if you can bear hearing Makkena talk.

these pages are for commenting on movies, not for making broad, erroneous statements about a people. so without further ado...being a straight and married person; i was moved by the torment that our main character travis furlong was going through. the addition of rhonda portelli into his life was just a reason for us to travel with him on his journey through loss, dispare, and acceptation.this is a good movie. and if you're straight and renting this, then you were intelligent enough to read the back of the box or the plot page here at imdb and still be interested in the story; therefore, you'll "get" it.