Finding North

For all its bold, comic treatment of gay issues, simple staging and quirky yet predictable ending, this tale of friendship, self-discovery and small town life holds few surprises. It starts in New York, with kooky Jewish-Italian bank clerk Ronda Portelli (Makkena) spotting a naked Travis Furlong (Hickey) as he contemplates jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge. Two days later, he enters her bank; convinced fate has orchestrated their meeting, Rhonda becomes infatuated, unaware that he's gay and mourning the death of his lover. To Travis's horror, she gatecrashes the wake and pursues him to Texas. While the narrative is signposted in the first 15 minutes, debut director Wexler's depiction of Travis and Rhonda as polar opposites, through character detail and vignettes of their daily lives, is genuinely affecting. Once in Texas, however, the film descends into eager to please humour, overworking the stale 'mismatched duo on a mission' scenario.