Philadelphia Film Festival 2010

Prompted by news of his father’s death, the cold-hearted Will returns home to Lebanon, PA, to oversee the funeral proceedings. Fabricating reasons to prolong his stay rather than return to his cushy Rittenhouse lifestyle, Will begins to embrace Lebanon’s simpler pace. He unexpectedly reconnects with distant family and forms a relationship with his young cousin CJ (played perfectly by newcomer Rachel Kitson), who feels comfortable confiding in him as an outsider. At first he is reluctant to be her friend, but when she tells him of her unplanned pregnancy, he finds himself caught up in the family drama. In this town where Christian morality is just the way of life, Will finds himself coming to terms with the type of man he truly is, and the path his life will take. The sophomore effort from Pennsylvania based filmmaker Ben Hickrnell, Lebanon, PA is a quiet and gentle meditation on life choices. The film unfolds in a minimalist way, relying on the subtlety of its actors and naturalism of its dialogue to propel us forward instead of loud explosions and action packed sequences. Hickernell presents us with the most human of problems and provides us the rich characterization to make it feel real.