Into the Fire

Conceived in the wake of September 11, writer and director Phelan's ambitious debut weaves together three stories of loss and rebirth, including those of a harbor patrolman (Flanery) and a grandmother (Williams) torn by survivor guilt. To say that Phelan's reach exceeds his grasp isn't entirely a criticism - he's tackling big themes and deep emotions that would intimidate even experienced filmmakers. Unfortunately, he falls back on narrative clichés, resulting in 93 minutes of committed actors putting themselves through the emotional wringer to very little end.