Snapshots

Rose has lived in the same lake house for fifty years and spends her days fishing. Her daughter Patti worries about her being alone and wants her to sell; Rose refuses. An old roll of film her granddaughter Allison finds changes things: in the frames is a summer from Rose's youth that nobody knows about. Melanie Mayron moves between two time frames: the house today and the same house fifty years ago. In the past, Rose is married, a couple has moved in next door, and an unexpected closeness forms between her and Louise, the neighbour's wife. The film sets out why that summer was never spoken of. Piper Laurie plays the older Rose and Brooke Adams her daughter. The telling is calm and direct, running on the weight of a secret rather than on large dramatic moments. Who it's for: Viewers who like multi-generational family drama, queer narratives told late in life, and two-timeline structures. Who it's not for: The budget is low and the production is close to a television film. The narrative also proceeds predictably.