There is a famous play by Anton Chekhov called "The Cherry Orchard" that is a great wellspring for thoughtful dramas like "The Middle Distance." Chekhov focuses on the leave-taking of a family that is forced to sell its home and vacate the premises. There was a similar simplicity to "The Middle Distance" that elicited the same compelling human touch as Chekhov.

The film has a symmetry with the character Neil traveling from Los Angeles across country to help settle the estate of his diseased father, sell the family home, and then to return the meat-grinder mentality of a workaholic in L.A. Neil starts as an arrogant and jaded man moving into middle age. He reunites with his younger brother James, who has a perky girlfriend named Rebecca. It is the chance meeting with Rebecca that changes Neil, and the transformation that comes over him is the major thrust of the drama.

Rebecca is a photographer, and she has been commissioned to capture images of the local landscape in conjunction with the memorial of the father of Neil and James. The filmmakers dynamically convey the winter landscape of the Midwest through their own compositional touches that serve as the prism for Rebecca's photographs.

There is a turning point in the film when, after consuming too much booze, Neil crashes his rental car into the snow. He and Rebecca then use a golf cart to travel around the community as they make last-minute repairs on the house. He guides her to some of places of his past that would make for good photography. In the wake of the car crash, Neil has the wake-up call through in his bonding with Rebecca and his journey into his past.

The film sidesteps issues of love and sex to portray the human potential of transformation. Somehow, Rebecca found a way to draw out Neil to recognize his own humanity. This was the kind of drama which a master writer like Chekhov would have been proud.

Mediocre acting and writing, combined with a predictable plot and unlikeable cast. Gee, what could possibly go wrong?

Most of the time, when I watch a "festival film" there's always something that gives it away. This one, however, has no tell-tales. Acting is good. Style is absolutely mind-blowing. Character progression is heartwarming. A great watch!