Year by the Sea

Based on Joan Anderson's bestselling titular 1999 memoir, filmmaker Alexander Janko's Year by the Sea is a rare film that celebrates middle-aged women. At her son's wedding reception, Joan (Karen Allen) learns that her husband's New York office is moving to Wichita, KS. She's expected to go along with the unexpected relocation, but since her 30-year marriage to Robin (Michael Cristofer) has gone stale, Joan instead decides to go to Cape Cod off-season to rediscover herself and redefine her life. She's a writer, so maybe she can find inspiration there. To her initial dismay, Joan discovers that the rustic cottage that she rented—sight unseen—is actually a bit offshore, so she must learn to navigate a rowboat. And then she meets a woman, also named Joan (Celia Imrie), who is ecstatically dancing on the beach. The other Joan is the wife of pioneering psychologist Erik Erikson (Alvin Epstein), who coined the term "identity crisis." This free-spirited new friend becomes Joan's mentor, guiding her gradual, restorative transformation. Plus there's a hunky clam-digger (Yannick Bisson) who not only takes her out on his fishing boat so she can view seals cavorting on a sand bar but also offers her a job at his fish market. Joan's other acquaintances include long-suffering Luce (Monique Gabriela Curnen), who runs the coastal coffee shop, and Luce's abusive, alcoholic partner (Kohler McKenzie), and Joan receives continual support from her literary agent (S. Epatha Merkerson). Composer Janko (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) makes his writing-directing debut with this gentle, but also cliché-riddled melodrama. Optional. (S. Granger)