Relationships require proper nurturing and even the breaking point comes with challenges. As portrayed in Breakup Season, a new feature written and directed by H. Nelson Tracey, there can be no universal consensus on timing when it comes to matters of the heart.
Despite having made its world premiere at the Desertscape International Film Festival in St. George, Utah, Breakup Season, is an attractive and realistic perspective regarding the reconciliation and its immediate outcomes. The storyline revolves around Ben played by Chandler Riggs and Cassie played by Samantha Isler the families home where they spend Christmas together in the rural state of Oregan.
The onset of the film shows both characters being in good emotional space with one another, however, it soon becomes apparent from Cassey’s perspective that she feels single while in a relationship with Ben. Mistakes in communication both within and outside the screen on the development of their relationship come to a head with Cassie informing Ben that she feels it would be best for both of them to go their separate ways and that she would be heading back the next day.
The situation turned out otherwise for Cassie who was caught up in a blizzard and stuck inside the house for the rest of the season with her ex-boyfriend and his family.
As the week progresses, tension builds up between Ben and Cassie as he attempts to get back together despite Cassie becoming even more resolute. Neither Ben nor Cassie are right or wrong, but two equally flawed sides of a relationship that has come to an end. It’s an amicable back-and-forth, both written with tact and some wit.
But in most of the other parts of the season, it isn’t just about Cassie or Ben and even their relationship. Tracey plays the week out by crashing the various relationships with the struggles of their relationship.
Here, Hogan and Urbaniak play the role of Ben’s parents, Mia and Kirby, whose gentle and warm personalities only emphasize the void between Ben and Cassie. The parents calmly support their son while being respectful and curious toward Cassie. As they move forward in the couple’s narrative, Cassie and Ben begin to understand both the similarities and the contrasts in their romantic connection.
Navigationally challenged in their own love lives are Ben’s siblings younger sister Liz (Carly Stewart) is in a relationship that has gone nowhere while elder brother Gordon (Jacob Wysocki) has returned home after his marriage has completely disintegrated. As the course of the week unfolds and tensions of wanting to save the relationship assail Ben, and Cassie’s instinct is to retreat even further, Ben and Cassie are each at a tug of war when it comes to love.
The works in this region are excellent from the whole cast. The role of Ben was portrayed in a strongly emotional vulnerable detail by Riggs and in contrast Montgomery is outstanding as, Cassie. However, the best is saved for the last and that is Urbaniak who acted with as much humor as he was gentle and kind as a father who is only trying to help his kids cope with the struggles of love and loss.
We see two revealing scenes with Urbaniak and his children one when Kirby walks and talks to Ben about his life, and the second one when Kirby speaks to Gordon on a cold dark night. Both Urbaniak and his children are still quite funny, even in the first weeks of February when they have tender and secret conversations with their father.
Possibly the greatest strength of this film lies with its screenplay. Tracey has written a story that allows his characters to be in conflict with self and colliding with each other against the world that is war torn and hates love. This constant and persistent strain both within and without comprising love or position provides a very constructive space for the characters to resolve their differences and unite.
One of the better things about the plot is that it never gives us the impression that a certain character has been cut from the same piece of fabric. Thus, all of them are so true to life that one does not feel the end of the film is definite. Because anything can happen, because as long as Tracey as crafted and projecting such tremendous characters, who almost seem to be alive and real, anything may happen.
Towards the end of the movie, Tracey at one point feigned to make a go for the left but had decided on with his characters. It flows easily to the heartbreaking final moments providing a conclusion that is quite true and optimistic in the vein of some of the classic romantic dramedies of years gone by, making this one a surefire future favourite in the mould of (500) Days of Summer.
With a debut this confident as Breakup Season, many will ask what he intends to do in his subsequent films. This reviewer, for one, looks forward to the next as if it is half as good as this, well, we are in for a surprise.
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