Film

In a droning, almost affectless voiceover narration, Leah (Chamblee) recalls the fateful summer after her mother’s death, when Leah and her sister Jazz (Cameron) get involved professionally and romantically with a hot band on the Washington, D.C., scene. At 18, Leah has her sights set on a prestigious college dance program. Jazz wants to be a singer. Their father (Powell), still grieving, wants Jazz to give up on music and go back to college. The sisters live, love and learn important lessons. It’s like an after-school special with adult language and a lot of weed smoking.

Christian and cowriter Sia Tiambi Barnes have good intentions, but the script feels underdeveloped. Key plot points are rushed, while other scenes drag on inexplicably. Leah is unbelievably innocent, and Chamblee is never able to sell the character’s attraction to band manager Gabe (Harris). Jazz, meanwhile, is clearly meant to be fascinating, but though Cameron has a nice singing voice, she doesn’t command the screen in the way her character ought to. Everyone involved deserves credit for a sincere effort, but that doesn’t make it a good movie.