What are the odds that two people whose lives intersected during a childhood tragedy would not only meet again as strangers but also fall in love? That is precisely what happens in the interesting if ultimately underwhelming Akron, a drama in which two gay college freshmen in Ohio are unaware of a past connection until they're well on their way to romance. Co-directors Brian O'Donnell and Sasha King's film begins in a store parking lot where Carol (Amy da Luz) secures her young son into the family van, drives off, and fatally hits a little boy she didn't see. The dead child's younger brother grows up to become the handsome and earnest Benny (Matthew Frias), now in his first year at a university and living at home with his parents Lenora (Andrea Burns) and David (Joseph Melendez). Benny meets the equally appealing Christopher (Edmund Donovan), and the two become a star couple—until everyone realizes that Christopher is Carol's son, linking the two families who never expected to be more than wary strangers following the accident. For a while, this cursed Romeo and Juliet romance plays out quite nicely, and the film benefits deeply from strong performances all around, but once the story peaks with various inter-family divisions, Akron starts to lose traction. And what should be a powerful, consequential meeting between the two mothers—one perpetually grieving, the other perpetually guilt-ridden—falls flat. Still, this is a respectable effort, and should be considered a strong optional purchase. (T. Keogh)
Akron
Wolfe</span></span><span style='mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt'>, 88 min., not rated, DVD: $26.99, Feb. 7 Volume 32, Issue 2
Akron
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