Love, Ludlow

• Director: Adrienne Weiss
• AMG Rating:
• Genre: Comedy Drama
• Movie Type: Slice of Life, Romantic Comedy
• Themes: Sibling Relationships, Eccentric Families, Workplace Romance
• Main Cast: Alicia Goranson, David Eigenberg, Brendan Sexton III, Jay Patterson, Andrea Mulala
• Release Year: 2004
• Country: US
• Run Time: 96 minutes

Plot

Alicia Goranson, Brendan Sexton III, and David Eigenberg star in director Adrienne Weiss' affectionate tale of sisterly devotion versus romantic yearning. By day, Queens native Myra (Goranson) has a reputation as hard-working firecracker of an office clerk who's not afraid to speak her mind, but by night, the outwardly hardened office worker goes soft as she lovingly caters to the needs of her artistically driven but emotionally unstable brother Ludlow (Sexton III). As Myra's burgeoning relationship with kind-hearted office employee Reggie (Eigenberg) begins to take a turn for the serious, the resulting tug of war waged for Myra's affection finds the emotional Ludlow lashing out and attempting to sabotage his sister's burgeoning romance. Though Myra's devotion to her troubled brother has always thus far resulted in a virtually non-existent social life, the prospect of following her strong feelings for the sweet and sensitive loner finds the encumbered sister struggling to find a comfortable middle ground between her senses of love, responsibility, and freedom. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Review

While movies about the conflicted life of the caretaker are nothing new, Love, Ludlow reminds us that a film doesn't have to be exceptionally innovative--or at all costly--to be wonderful. The actors in this delicate dramedy are what propel it from a cute indie production to a charmingly evocative and, more importantly, believable story. Most notably, Alicia Goranson's ability to tackle her character's thick accent and esoteric dialogue without creating an over-the-top caricature almost makes it a shame that this small, independent venture didn't have the exposure that may-well have spoiled it. Even when she talks tough, she radiates a warmth that draws us in to share in her on-screen experiences, from the butterflies of her new relationship to the devotion she shows her (intentionally nonspecifically) emotionally challenged brother. David Eigenberg shows equal restraint with a character that is cleverly written to have his own subtle but complex needs, making him much more than just The Guy, and Brendan Sexton III dances gracefully through the deal-breaking task of playing a character with a mental or emotional disability. The sets and locations are few, simple, and shot in close quarters, creating a feeling of intimacy (a primary focus of the play that the film is based on, which originally took place entirely within a small apartment). While the film indulges to some degree in the Miranda July/Jared Hess craze of dressing indie film actors in outlandishly out of date clothing to play up precociousness, and while a few brief appearances by peripheral characters can border on cliché, Love, Ludlow is much like its characters in that none of its flaws are any less than totally forgivable. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide

Cast

• Alicia Goranson - Myra Smuldanski
• David Eigenberg - Reggie Baron
• Brendan Sexton III - Ludlow Smuldanski

Jay Patterson - Storkelson; Andrea Mulala - Carol; Bernie Pollock - Bernard; Ruby Holbrook - Mrs. Fernster; Jessica Durdock - New Temp; Allesandro Magan - Waiter

Credit

Melvyn I. Weiss - Associate Producer, Angela Wendt - Costume Designer, Kathleen Finch - First Assistant Director, Adrienne Weiss - Director, Eric Pomert - Editor, David L. Paterson - Executive Producer, Tomandandy - Composer (Music Score), Lyle Hysen - Musical Direction/Supervision, Edwige Geminel - Production Designer, Ruben O'Malley - Cinematographer, Amy Hobby - Producer, Joshua Blum - Producer, Fred Helm - Sound/Sound Designer, Thomas Jordan - Sound/Sound Designer, David L. Paterson - Screenwriter, Fred Helm - Supervising Sound Editor, David L. Paterson - Play Author

Similar Movies

Dominick and Eugene; Benny & Joon