When I first heard about this film, I didn't have terribly high expectations. I had high hopes, but... that was about it.<br /><br />Still, I made the effort (and yes, going from the Sierras to Phoenix WAS a lot of effort) to see this film. And I'm very glad I did.<br /><br />First, the script. Betsy Morris shines in her first script. Her plot is not overly dramatic. The situations the characters face are all very real. They happen every day, but it's the common quality of their issues that makes them important. As you're watching the film, it's less about watching characters, and more about watching the lives of people you already know, that you see everyday on the street, as they unfold.<br /><br />Second, the cast. Yes, some of the names and faces are very recognizable from the WB/CW. This shouldn't be held against them - because not only did each perform solidly, but they definitely played off each other. I will say, though, that Jensen Ackles stole every scene in which he appeared. His character Priestly is very different from any other character I've seen him play before and is, in a way, a visual representation of many of the film's themes - that people are often not who and what they appear, that they are more than what we assume them to be, and that we need to look beyond the immediate. (The tampon scene and the checkout scene are VERY reminiscent of some of the 80's and 90's comedies.... great!) <br /><br />Third - visuals. I must admit that I saw this film on a digital projector and the image was somewhat murky (I blame the projection on that), but it was still immediately apparent that this film holds a wealth of visual potential. There are a number of shots on location on the California coast that made me ache with homesickness and yet, in others, you feel like you're standing in this familiar town, walking down familiar streets.<br /><br />My one complaint had to do with a scene that I felt was somewhat gratuitous (and those who have seen it probably know exactly which scene I mean), but if that's my only complaint, I think they're doing pretty well.<br /><br />Okay, so maybe this film won't ever be an Oscar contender, but it's solid and entertaining and given some of the schlock coming out of Hollywood of late, I'll take a small, solid film over an overdone, trite "blockbuster" any day.