Montclair (2007)★ 7.4/10

US · 94 min · January 1, 2007

• Drama

Directed by: Mike Ramsdell

Written by: Mike Ramsdell

Jay and Amy have a good life. A beautiful home, an adorable son, interesting, devoted friends and very different ideas of what the next steps in their life together should be. Their dearest friend and the neighborhood recluse is Vaclav. Through a Homeric battle with two neighborhood punks involving eggs, dog shit and petty theft, he comes to terms with an old tragedy and faces the shadow of what could have been. Suzanne, a friend of Amy's and Joel, her venture-capitalist husband, have a baby on the way, but are struggling with his workaholic attitude and her need for affirmation and security. Bruce is reeling in the wake of a nasty divorce. But with some tough love, and a chocolate chip cookie from his landlady, he begins to deal with the fear of starting over. And Matt, Jay's radio partner is a popular former Big League pitcher, known to his fans as "The Giantkiller". He coasts along with a mellow attitude, barely tolerating the rat race around him. As the friends all cope with the struggle of their own households they gently collide with one another for better or worse. Interspersed with appearances by Montclair's actual residents, this rich story employs fictional and non-fictional techniques to depict American Suburbia with honesty and naturalism.