Amy (Julia Coulter) lives in the Upper Valley and has worked at the same coffee shop since she was a teenager. Her father, Kevin (Reed Diamond), a bike enthusiast who owns the local bike shop, plans to ride in the L’Etape Du Tour. When faced with a moment that challenges everything she knows, Amy decides to train for the ride of her life, even in the face of a congenital heart defect.
In her debut film, Julia Coulter serves as director, writer, producer, and lead actor as Amy. Her efforts are on full display. Having been at the helm of short films previously, Road to L’Etape Du Tour is a moving achievement about the power of the human spirit.
As Amy, Coulter brings a raw depth to a character that is highly relatable and down to earth. The self-reflection and corresponding doubt she brings to her performance is palpable. The audience rides along with her on her training journey, her heartbreak, and the ultimate crossroads she is presented with along the way.
“…Julia decides to train for the ride of her life, even in the face of a congenital heart defect.”
As her fiancé Jacob (Brian Muller) struggles to keep their spark alive, Amy must navigate her growing feelings for her father’s bike shop employee, Lucas (Luis Augusto Figueroa). Both Muller and Figueroa create characters whose love for Amy cannot be doubted. Reed Diamond as Amy’s father Kevin provides the inner strength and support that Amy needs to achieve her goals.
A film such as this would not be complete with scenes in which the protagonist must train against all odds and Road to L’Etape Du Tour is no exception. The rolling hills and scenic backroads of Vermont and New Hampshire serve as the training ground where Amy prepares for the grueling trek beautifully captured by cinematographer Seth Macmillan, truly bringing Coulter’s gripping screenplay to life.
Coulter has managed to maintain the intimacy of her previous short films, Brothers and Habit despite the larger landscape she has to work with here. With a talented cast and crew and a story that resonates with anyone who has faced adversity and the challenges of life’s ever-changing backdrop, Road to L’Etape Du Tour is an emotional ride sure to move those who embark on it.
"…a moving achievement about the power of the human spirit."
