DVD Corner

Kelly And Cal DVD Review

Juliette Lewis and Jonny Weston carry the uneven “Kelly and Cal.”

Having been a former riot grrrl band member, Kelly is struggling to cope with life as a new mother and suburban. Not only does she feel lost and unhappy, but her relationship with her husband has become strained.  Luckily, Kelly founds a kindred spirit with a wheelchair bound high schooler neighbor (Cal) who is working through his own set of issues. As the two develop a bond, they slowly begin to help one other, but will their friendship spiral out of control?

“Kelly and Cal” starts out promising enough as a challenging “unlikely friendship” character study about love, loss, depression, angst, family, and connections. As the final act approaches, however, writer Amy Lowe Starbin’s screenplay stumbles to the finish line with an unnecessary and clumsy turn of events that lets down the actors and actresses.

Speaking of the cast, stars Juliette Lewis and Jonny Weston are easily the highlight of the entire film. Weston (best known for his role in the forgettable “Chasing Mavericks”) shows real range here as an intelligent, perverted, kindhearted, and depressed teen. As for Lewis, she gives one of the best roles of her career as an honest, lost mother/wife going through a sort of midlife crisis. Why she doesn’t get more roles is a real mystery

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 2.35:1. How does it look? A- worthy

Audio Track: Dolby Digital 5.1. How does it sound? Whether there’s music playing or dialogue about “Zardoz,” this DD track does the job.

Extras include: IFC Film trailers, a “Kelly and Cal” trailer, and a short 3 minute featurette which contains film clips, cast and crew interviews and story and character discussions.

January 1, 2015 - Posted by nicklyons1 | DVD review | Jonny Weston, Juliette Lewis, Kelly And Cal DVD Review