Based on writer-director Rebecca Miller’s acclaimed book of stories, this trio of exceedingly intimate short films concerns three vastly dissimilar women facing decisions of life-altering importance. In Delia, a battered wife (Kyra Sedgwick) struggles to summon the courage to leave her violent husband. In Greta, an ambitious cookbook editor (Parker Posey) contemplates an extramarital affair. And in Paula, a troubled runaway (Fairuza Balk) searches for signs that might tell her whether or not to return home. The tales are loosely connected by a shared TV news report that, either directly or indirectly, brings about a profound awakening within the three women. Outstanding performances by all three actresses and dreamlike cinematography throughout add a significant emotional wallop to each story’s already incredible impact.

Grade: A

Kinsey Scale: 4 (Mommie Dearest alum Mara Hobel turns up – sans wire hangers – as Delia’s childhood friend, May. Sedgwick played a pregnant lesbian in What’s Cooking? and developed a “close” bond with her female employer in  Losing Chase, and Fairuza Balk’s character fell in love with her gay best friend in Gas Food Lodging. Posey’s many homocentric films include Flirt, Party Girl, Waiting for Guffman, and Best in Show.

(Appeared in Gay Syndicate)