This is not an always easy 90 minutes, Two Ways Home tackles head on the social issue of mental illness wrapped up in a family drama. Tanna Frederick stars alongside Tom Bower in her first produced narrative feature film. Two Ways Home was made in cooperation with aligned charities including http://www.NAMI.org and http://www.BreakingTheChainsFoundation.org and attempts I think to raise awareness, and be thought provoking. Two Ways Home was directed by Ron Vignone, from an original screenplay by Richard Schinnow, being independently produced and filmed in Iowa.
The film centre around Tanna Frederick’s character – Kathy, a woman who has come off the rails and is ultimately trying to get through life, Kathy lives with bipolar disorder who, after being given a chance to get out a bad situations, finds herself struggling to care for her cantankerous grandfather and his run-down farm whilst all the time trying to reconcile with her estranged 12-year-old daughter. Butting heads with her parents who struggle to understand.
During the movie making process and directing of this film, Director Ron Vignone held tight to the belief and importance of “taking the shame out of our conditions – whatever they may be, and however they manifest in our lives.”
I enjoyed the film more than I had expected to do so, the beginning being a particularly harsh introduction to a difficult subject matter and there were times when it became a little slow, and I had to fight to keep my attention where it should be. But ultimately I am glad I did, that in essence this is a heart-warming family drama, that doesn’t detract at all from the message of Two Ways Home
Tanna Frederick’s plays Kathy exceptionally well, a studied performance which is understated enough to allow the film to shine and the additional cast members (including Joel West, Riley Behr, Kathy Douglas, Kim Grimaldi, and Richard Maynard, Elizabeth Bauman, Shanda Lee Musson and Pat Frey) are all obviously committed to this film and give gritty real performances, in particular Riley Behr’s performance as Cori is perfectly understated and well delivered
A good watch, with more than just a self-indulgent self-help storyline
To View Check Out Dances With Films
WORLD Premiere
USA, 2019, HD, 92 min.
SCREENS: SAT. JUNE 15 @ 7:15P
Rating: 7/10