Finding North Review

Rhonda meets Travis as he (unsuccessfully) tries to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge. Convinced that their destinies are intertwined, she then tags along with him as he goes on a road trip to bring his boyfriend's family the news of his death…

by Caroline Rees |
Published on
Release Date:

11 Jun 1999

Running Time:

95 minutes

Certificate:

15

Original Title:

Finding North

Another take on the odd couple road movie, this warm, witty debut feature from Wexler throws together Travis (Hickley), a suicidal gay guy whose lover has just died, and Rhonda (Makkena), a motormouth Jewish bank clerk.

After first spotting Travis poised to jump off a bridge, Rhonda becomes convinced their destinies are entwined when he later walks into her bank. Between phone calls from her possessive mother (Pietropinto), she gradually invades his life. When she is sacked and he receives a cassette from his late partner, Bobby, asking him to head for his home town in Texas and carry out a string of odd requests, Rhonda hitches along. Believing her to be bonkers, he initially shrugs her off but then realises he needs her help.

Instructed by the tape to piece together episodes from Bobby's youth, the duo's first task is to nick a large mermaid sign from a motel. They also have to dress up as a cowfolk for a Halloween bash. These antics result in more than one flare-up between the pair; she seeks solace in the arms of a hicksville hulk while, in the film's most moving scene, he confronts Bobby's beloved aunt Bonnie (Molly McClure) with the double revelation of her nephew's homosexuality and demise. Finally the misfit couple face the future with renewed understanding.

Bouncing easily along to a twanging country soundtrack, the film is part detective yarn, part voyage of self-discovery. It's funny, too, laced with sharp banter, acute character detail and winning lead performances.
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