Heartland: The Grotto
Tony Award-winning actress Joanna Gleason makes her feature writing/directing debut with this warm hug of a hangout movie.
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When I first agreed to review Tony Award-winning actress Joanna Gleason’s feature writing/directing debut “The Grotto,” I was hoping it’d be about parties at the Playboy Mansion. (I’m kidding … mostly.) Once my bubble was burst, I was treated to something much better and altogether deeper.
“Breaking Bad” alum Betsy Brandt stars as Alice, a 40-something music manager who inherits half-ownership of the titular, California desert-based nightclub after the death of her fiancé Nick (Larry Sullivan).
At an ill-advised grief counseling group session presided over by Arnel (Amy Aquino of “Bosch”), Alice befriends Kip (Dan Bucantinsky), who just lost his husband. Alice, unaware of what exactly The Grotto is, tells Kip about her inheritance. Turns out Kip and his husband frequented the joint and he insists they check the place out together.
It’s here that Alice meets co-owner Victor (Jonathan Del Arco), chef Gideon (Steve Kazee), waitress Rosie (Amanda Ripley) and bartender Chuck (Vince Swann).
I don’t want to go into specifics about how all of these folks are related as I think Gleason’s film is best enjoyed without spoilers. Suffice it to say Alice makes an impact on the lives of The Grotto’s staff and they in turn make an impact on hers.
Gleason has made a sweet, sensitive dramedy that also serves as an appealing hangout movie. Performances are pretty solid across the board – I especially responded to the work of Brandt, Bucantinsky, Del Arco and Kazee. Cool character actors also pop up in supporting roles – Michael Nouri (“The Hidden”) plays Nick’s Dad, Luis Sandoval thankfully takes a break from playing drug kingpins to play Alice’s boss and Kevin Chamberlin (he was the bomb tech who gets sprayed with maple syrup in “Die Hard with a Vengeance”) turns up as the arbitrator of Nick’s estate.
“The Grotto” is a movie made by and for adults that shows love comes in all forms and it’s never too late to find it again. It’s a big/open/warm-hearted film that served as a wonderful palate cleanser after the dire double-shot of “Terrifier” and “Terrifer 2” taken in earlier in the week. Color me curious for whatever hug of a movie Gleason gifts us next.