Customer Reviews

Finding North

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A tad too fast-paced in the beginning, this film is nonetheless an entertaining affair. Wendy Makkena (from Sister Act 1 and 2) is a very talented and very funny actress - she has the Brooklyn-thing down pat (she's all big hair and snappy wit). John Hickey is also well cast as the suicidal object of her affections. The film has Makkena following Hickey down to Texas to fulfill his deceased lovers' last wishes in his hometown. Like I said, the film is fast-paced and almost every frame holds your interest. All of the surrounding characters are as colorful if not more so than our two leads (look out for the twin waitresses at the Texas coffee shop). The actress who plays the deceased lover's aunt is also great in her scenes. Charming and recommended.

Finding North begins as Rhonda (Wendy Makkena) and her friends, in a cab on the Brooklyn Bridge, spot Travis, a naked man ready to jump off the bridge. Rhonda, against the protests of her friends, tries to help, but finds only a shoe at the spot where Travis was. She takes the shoe with her, and goes on with her life, such as it is. Rhonda lives with her parents - a father who hasn't spoken in years, and an overbearing mother who has no notion of personal boundaries. She hates her job in the bank, and dreams of finding love and a purpose in life. Travis is played by John Benjamin Hickey from "Love! Valour! Compassion!" and the cancelled TV series "It's All Relative." Travis has recently lost his lover, and feels that he has also lost the struggle to find a path and a purpose to his life. He runs into Rhonda when he goes to the bank to withdraw all of his money. Unfortunately, she mistakes him for the stripper she hired for her own birthday, and forces him to drop his pants right there in the bank. When it becomes clear that she is mistaken, she repeatedly attempts to apologize to him, going so far as to follow him home, where she crashes a memorial for Travis's late lover. Rhonda figures out that Travis was the man on the bridge when she finds the matching shoe to the one she has in Travis's closet. She remains unaware that Travis is a homosexual, however, thinking that Travis's mood has to do with a breakup with a woman at the party.

As Travis is finalizing his affairs, he receives a cassette tape from his late boyfriend, which sends him on a road trip/scavenger hunt to the small town in Texas where the boyfriend was raised. Rhonda, in a misguided attempt to help (and to spend time with someone she thinks could be a potential boyfriend for her), accompanies Travis to Texas. The trip turns into a journey of self discovery for both Travis and Rhonda, as they pursue the clues given on the tape, and try to deal with each other as well as their own pain. Through their experiences, each finds a way to look at their situation from a different perspective, and to make changes which will put their lives back on track. As other reviewers have noted, the destination is not the important part of this film. Actual accomplishments are secondary - the emotional journey, the personal growth and the self-realization are what provide satisfaction. John Benjamin Hickey turns in a strong, melancholy, human performance in this odd-couple/road trip/comedy/drama. Wendy Makkena also does a very good job as she vividly creates the various facets that bring Rhonda to life. This is a low-budget film, and the script is not always as sharp as it could be, but "Finding North" is a trip well worth taking.

I happened across this movie while looking for another. The description made me give it a try. This charming movie was sweet and sad and funny. A sort of twisted Wizard of Oz style quest, where the journey IS the destination and what you really learn is about yourself. Quite worth the watch, and worth the purchase (thought perhaps not at the current price tag.)

Well, I must say that I am somewhat biased about this particular movie because I was able to watch it being filmed in my hometown of Denton, Texas. At the time, Wendy Makkena and John Benjamin Hickey had not had many high-profile projects under their belts (as they have now, with Wendy being in the Sister Act films and John being in Love! Valour! Compassion! as well as being on tv). But they are both very engaging actors, and the film benefits from their presence. I like watching the movie not only for the nice, gentle "buddy-movie-type" road story and the good performances, but it also gives me an opportunity to reminisce about my hometown where I no longer live! Like many people, I have figuratively been to the ledge on the bridge like J.B. Hickey's character in this movie, and to see him be pulled back and taken on a journey by Wendy's character is a nice parallel to my own life. I think you will enjoy this movie if you are looking for a solid character study, enjoyable performances, and authentic Texas locations.

I must admit I have seen many gay themed movies however this movie is by far my favorite. This is a movie to watch with your best friend! I have never cried through an entire movie but this one made me cry from start to finish. It is a must watch for all the hopeless romantic, chick flick lovers!

Travis and Rhonda made for a good romance, without the romance. Travis drags Rhonda on a mission assigned by his dead partner, but it is Rhonda who fights for a sucicidal Travis to find a reason to live. This movie is well written and directed. The actors did a good job. Travis' angst and depression are not allowed to swallow the viewer because it is matched by Rhonda's zeal, pep and vulnerable determination. This was really a good movie. No big stars. No big budget. Just a heartfelt movie that never bores and makes you care about the characters. I took a chance ang bought it because of the write up on Amazon. It was money well spent.

Actually this movie was cute, but it lacked depth. The friendship of the two main characters seems to somehow grow out of nothing at all. The acting is mediocre. Still the movie has it's charm. All in all, it would be worth renting once. I watched it with a small group of friends, and we had a ball making coments about it while we were watching it.

This was an intelligent, well-acted film. Here in Detroit, it won the audience choice at our 2000 film festival.

Here is a road movie about two people with nothing in common who become friends after one sees the other, naked on a bridge about to commit suicide. She finds her self drawn to him and hence follows him unexpectedly to TExas so he can go on a scavenger hunt. Sounds really neato, wacky, and oh so hip no? Well if you said "No" you'd be right. The friendship of these characters just appears to a certain extent. The scavender hunt is played out by listening to tapes of the mans recently deceaced boyfriend who is sending him off to heal him after his death. The emotions and reactions seem more for plot than for reality. For instance, a person in the movie will get angry and walk away although this doesn't fit with the scene, this is to set up the other person having a wacky adventure trying to find them. I watched this with a few friends and we saw what it was going for but all agreed it had really missed it's mark.

BUT IS NOT SHE IS A GOOD ACCTRESS ,BUT THE WAY THIS MOVIE ITS BEEN MADE, IT MAKE IT A SHORT STORY, WAY TO LONG , NAD IT IS KIND OF STUPID TO FOLLOW , A TAPE RECORDER ALL ALONG, TO END UP HEADING NORTH, DISSAPPOINTED