Jennifer (Tara Westwood) is a young woman forced to relocated from New York City to Florida for a new job who ends up making the trip joined by her recently widowed father (Carlo Fiorletta) and the ashes of mother tucked away in a coffee can.

The odds are pretty good that you already find yourself saying to yourself "Sounds like yet another one of those quirky road comedies."

Indeed, you're partially right.

Detours, directed by Robert McCaskill (Heterosexuals) and written by Mara Lesemann (Surviving Family), is a rather quirky yet relatable piece of cinema that benefits greatly from the co-leading performances of Westwood and Fiorletta who humanize the film's dramatic and humorous moments with emotionally honest yet laid back performances. Westwood, who also worked on Lesemann's last penned feature film, is vulnerable and endearing here, while Fiorletta's ability to pull off dry, witty humor gives the film many of its laughs.

Detours premiered at the Sunscreen Film Festival and continues to experience success early in its festival run. In addition to its top notch co-leads, Detours features some familiar supporting players including the wonderful character actor Richard Kind, the always wonderful Paul Sorvino and noted actor/musician Michael Cerveris, the latter whose music is also featured throughout the film. The film also features music from Lane Turner, Katherine Hughes, Jon Alan Lee and others.

Chris Eadicicco's lensing is clear and intimate despite the challenges of shooting a road pictures on a lower budget, while T.V. Alexander's production design gives the film a comfortable, familiar feeling that works well with Lesemann's story about life's changes, the quirky bumps along the road and how we survive it all.

Detours is a quiet, low-key film. It likely won't blow you away, though it'll keep you drawn in throughout its nicely paced and breezy running time. Behind the believable parent-child relationship of Westwood and Fiorletta, Detours is the kind of film that proves to be popular on the indie fest circuit by telling a story so seldom seen in the multiplexes these days. If you get a chance, definitely check it out.

© Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic