Girlfriend

A young man with Down syndrome, Evan (Evan Sneider, who really has Down syndrome), begins to navigate life on his own in a small rural town following the death of his protective mother (Amanda Plummer) in writer-director Justin Lerner's debut film. Given several thousand dollars to live on by an older brother, Evan finds himself attracted to former high school crush now single young mom Candy (Shannon Woodward), who has dual troubles with her abusive ex-boyfriend Russ (Jackson Rathbone) and making rent payments. When Candy is evicted, Evan takes her and her young son into his own home, where the emotional stakes steadily rise as Evan comes to see himself as Candy's boyfriend and Russ questions him for information. No one can be sure just how Evan will respond when the impossibility of a romantic relationship sinks in. Although uneven and somewhat implausible, Girlfriend benefits from a solid performance by newcomer Sneider. A strong optional purchase. (T. Keogh)