Jacqueline Christy’s Magic Hour is an emotional, inspiring, and refreshing debut feature that shows us that one’s dreams may be, because of life’s interruptions, set aside but should never end up forgotten. Such is the tragedy of the protagonist, Harriet Peterson (Miriam Shor), who, while never having lost her passion for the cinema, did, however, trade the fear and uncertainty of an artist’s path in favor of the path of least resistance. Marriage, children, and monotony. Harriet, however, has always kept her opus in a draw, and now that she has become somewhat of a doorstop from her self-serving husband Bob (Josh Stamberg) and her frustrated, anxiety-ridden teen daughter Emma (Cameron Morton), she secretly puts out feelers to a prestigious film school hoping to keep the dream alive.
Harriet’s comfortable life soon falls to pieces when her husband leaves her for their daughter’s drama teacher, Trish (Joy Suprano). Harriet abandons all rhyme and reason and starts listening to her heart. Gaining acceptance into film school soon leads to a strange double life. On the one hand, she is the moping divorcee and forgotten mother, whilst unbeknownst to her nearest and used-to-be dearest, she is rocking out guerilla style with her film school crew, learning and mastering the tricks of the screen trade.
“Harriet’s comfortable life soon falls to pieces when her husband leaves her for their daughter’s drama teacher…”
Harriet’s talent finally catches up with her ambition, and she finds herself welcomed into a special program that allows the recipient the opportunity to make her long-gestating feature. Yet, after having basked in the warmth and equal footing among her film school peers, she quickly finds the rough and tumble of the cutthroat industry to be as emotionally demoralizing as the life she has just left behind. Harriet has to reach deep into herself to find the strength and tenacity to follow her own advice, stare at the insensitive professionals in her midst, and call action with time, money, and sanity running out as she fights to capture her finest hour on celluloid.
Magic Hour comes together perfectly. With witty writing and stylish direction from Christy, her cast led by the brilliant Miriam Shor, each gives genuinely touching and sincere performances. Shout-outs go to Cameron Morton as Harriet’s daughter, plagued with the same fears that almost ruined her mother’s life, and small but brilliant turns by seasoned character actors like Michael Panes, the snobby cinematographer, Patrick Breen’s morally ambiguous financial manager, and last but not least the great Austin Pendleton as older adults actor Joseph.
This movie isn’t simply about the power and impact the movies have on certain individuals, it is also about dreams, and how you are never too old to chase them. While they may seem imposing and out of reach, if you believe enough, dream enough, work hard enough, and never, ever, ever take no for an answer, you might just find yourself amid a type of joyous chaos, trying to juggle all the elements which need to somehow magically collide to create that art we know as cinema, and bask in the golden glory of our very own Magic Hour.
"…an emotional, inspiring and refreshing debut..."
