www.waytooindie.com

"It’s a sad truth that first time directors have the hardest time finding distribution—without a famous family member or benevolent producer out to champion for it, that is. And while I tend to be the hard-nosed sort that thinks directors need to earn their kicks in this world and work their way up, it’s rare I find a film debut as polished and moving as Kimberly Levin’s Runoff. The small-town tale of a farm family whose business suffers as larger corporations offer lower prices. Joanne Kelly plays Betty, the wife trying to support her husband in his business, especially as his health starts to wane, while being the sort of mother who hand-sews her son’s Halloween costume and connects with her elder son about his hopes and dreams for life after high school. The film’s visuals beautifully capture the allure of family life on a farm, engendering the same sort of pride felt by the protagonists. Performances in the film are all around wonderful, but it’s the building tension of the film’s final act as Betty is faced with hard and fast decisions to make, that Joanne Kelly truly shines, becoming a woman who fights for the life her family has built. Levin, who also wrote the film, isn’t afraid to get a little dark, grappling with harsh realities and moral ambiguity. While there’s no end to films on the disenchanted American Dream, this one is an engaging quiet watch worth getting to see on the big screen. "