Heartland

After the death of her girlfriend, Lauren (Velinda Godfrey) finds herself emotionally adrift and moves back in with her mother for a while. But her mother, portrayed by esteemed character actor Beth Grant, is a conservative scold and refuses to acknowledge Lauren's lesbianism. When Lauren's brother Justin (Aaron Leddick) and his fiancée Carrie (Laura Spencer) return home for a visit, Lauren is surprised to find a connection with the warm and friendly Carrie. As the visit gets extended, the two find themselves thrown together on more than one occasion. Finally, improbably, at the height of a tornado, the friendship briefly sparks into more but just as quickly is threatened when Justin and mama catch on to what is happening. Maura Anderson's film is an entertaining and moving story of misplaced affection and almost missed human connections. (Chicago Reeling Film Fest)