In a small town in the countryside, Georgia Kaminski (Kristen Stewart) is a fifteen year-old girl with Friedreich's ataxia, a genetic disease that causes progressive damage to the nervous system resulting in clumsy movements, speech problems heading to heart disease. While in a flea market selling goods with her grandmother Marg (Elizabeth Ashley),Georgia meets the shy twenty-years old Beagle Kimbrough (Aaron Stanford),who works in the cafeteria of her school and is the son of the local butcher Easy (Bruce Dern). Beagle spent the last years taking care of his ill mother while Easy and Marg have secretly been lovers for many years. Georgia feels that she will have few years of life and decides to lose her virginity with the sensitive Beagle. Meanwhile, Easy's older son Guy (Jayce Bartok) returns from New York for the funeral of his mother and seeks out the hairdresser Stephanie (Miriam Shor),who was his fiancée that he left behind when he moved to New York chasing the dream of becoming a successful musician. During the reunion, the lives of members of both families experience new discoveries and feelings.

The debut of the sweet Mary Stewart Masterson in the direction of a feature is a beautiful and sensitive movie about families' relationship. The three romances are realistic and engaging and the characters are human and credible. The top-notch and impressive performance of Kristen Stewart in the role of a teenager with Friedreich's ataxia deserved a nomination to the Oscar. Kristen Stewart proves that she is not only an extremely gorgeous woman, but mainly a awesome actress. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Doces Encontros" ("Sweet Encounters")

Easy Kimbrough (Bruce Dern) is the butcher in the rural community who lives with his loser son Beagle (Aaron Stanford). His sickly wife recently died and they're selling her stuff at the swap meet. There they help Marg Kaminski (Elizabeth Ashley) and her granddaughter Georgia (Kristen Stewart). Georgia suffers from Friedreich's Ataxia, a terminal neurological genetic disease. Georgia's mother Violet (Talia Balsam) constantly takes Artistic pictures of Georgia and tries new age treatments. Easy's oldest son Guy (Jayce Bartok) returns home as a failed musician after 3 years in NYC. He's trying to reconnect with his ex Stephanie (Miriam Shor).

It's a bunch of damaged likable people struggling to make something of their lives. I like Beagle and Georgia. I like that she's the more aggressive person and the toughest person in the movie. Aaron Stanford does a good job and Kristen Stewart is skinny enough to be a cripple. Although her disability does come and go at times. I don't find the older brother Guy quite as compelling. His story is somewhat unnecessary. I like Mary Stuart Masterson's theatrical directorial debut. It is sensitive and solid. It's a very commendable first effort.

If you only know Kristen S. as "Bella", than you haven't seen her full Spectrum yet. This is one of the films where she can show what she is really capable of. Of course this being an ensemble piece, there are quite a few other people, who are all really good in their roles. And while this is a man trying to get past his ... well past (I'm talking about the script writer),it still is able to affect other people (the viewers),too.

Of course a drama isn't something that will get all people excited and there are quite a few things, that might get you off the movie. But if you take the time and invest in the characters as the filmmakers did, you will come to like it. Plus the audio commentary is a really nice one to listen to.