Where Hope Grows

Calvin was once a professional baseball player. His career ended in one game in front of everyone, and after that he began to drink. He is unemployed now, living with his daughter, who looks after him. Shopping at a supermarket he meets an employee: the young man he calls Produce has Down syndrome and works in the fruit and vegetable section. He takes an interest in Calvin, talks to him, and they become friends. Calvin's life begins to change through it. Chris Dowling writes and directs. David DeSanctis plays Produce; the actor has Down syndrome and is among the first to take a lead in an American feature. That casting decision is what stands out. The character is built not as a function but as someone with a life of his own; he has a job, the question of his driving licence is argued about, and he makes his own decisions. The subject is dependence. Calvin's drinking is at the centre and the narrative does not resolve it with an easy transformation. The production stands close to American faith based cinema; the narrative does not say so outright but the register belongs there. Its limit is formula; the characters develop predictably and an event in the last section strains the narrative. Who it is for: viewers who like American drama built on friendship and faith based films. Who it is not for: the emotional register is high, the narrative is formulaic, and the ending is built on a sudden event.