The Reception

In the snowy midwinter, an alcoholic Frenchwoman (Stewart), who shares an isolated farmhouse in upstate New York with a gay African-American painter (Burmeister), receives an unexpected visit from her estranged daughter (Margaret Burkwith) and new son-in-law (Darien Sills-Evans). Liquor and lust are the catalysts that unleash a torrent of frank talk about race, sex, class and hopelessly damaged family relationships, unmasking the lies and delusions on which all four have built their lives. Writer-director John G. Young's claustrophobic drama is a slightly stagy four-hander distinguished by fine performances and handsome production values that belie its $5,000 budget and eight-day shooting schedule.