88 minutes – Drama
Language: English
Festival release date: July 4, 2007 (New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Film Festival)
Release date: June 6, 2008
Production company: Cardona-Colbert Productions
Distributor: Peccadillo Pictures
Dr. Finn Jefferies is a thoroughly modern lesbian – far too feisty and happy to ever bother hiding her sexuality. Her family is pure 21st century: two mothers, two careers and a kid. Nothing had ever rocked Finn`s passionate, committed life until the untimely death of her beloved long-term partner, Nancy. In shock, Finn can barely cope. As she flounders in her grief, she takes risks that jeopardize her relationship with the only person she really loves––their daughter, eleven-year-old Zelly Bean. Finn is clearly not comfortable in her new role on the domestic front. She loves Zelly deeply, but her demanding career has put her wildly out of touch with her maternal instincts. Consumed by her work and by a rebound fling with a much younger woman, Finn is oblivious to Zelly’s latest attention-seeking antics––shoplifting, smoking dope and skipping school. As Zelly acts out, Finn also faces losing her medical career. A brilliant gynecologist, she heads up a research laboratory that develops new fertility drugs for major pharmaceutical companies. When her most recent clinical trial reveals troubling health risks for female participants, Finn chooses to walk away from the trials, rather than endangering lives. Paul Jimenez, one of Finn`s colleagues and also Zelly’s father, takes over Finn’s lab and continues the testing. Paul not only dismisses Finn`s complaints as overly cautious, he criticizes how Finn is handling Zelly and threatens to take custody of his daughter. In retaliation, Finn brings their personal and professional relationship to a showdown, with the stunning revelation that Paul is not really Zelly’s biological father. After walking away from her lab, Finn takes over Nancy`s medical practice at a downtown abortion clinic. When constant threats from anti-abortionists escalate to a sniper attack on Finn, uncompromising police officer Diana Peris is assigned to protect Finn and the clinic. Intrigued by Finn and protective of Zelly, Diana devotes overtime to her task. For the first time since Nancy`s death, Finn feels drawn to someone she might be able to lean on and maybe even love. Yet, Finn’s kamikaze lifestyle and careless parenting too often put her and Diana at odds. Luckily for Finn, Zelly (in need of protection) and Diana (ever protective) forge an instant connection. Finn’s emotional and professional struggles are continually underscored by the amusing misadventures of Zelly and her best friends Eve and Max. As the trio of kids grapple with their emerging sexualities, Zelly finally discovers the astonishing identity of her true biological parents.
Carolynne Bell
Dominique Cardona
Laurie Colbert
Paul Lee
Paul Lee
Gina Fowler
Patrick McGowan
Gino Zolezzi
Tom Third
Christine Plunkett
Sarah Armstrong
Finn Jefferies
Peris
Zelly
Xavier
Max
Nancy
Paul Jimenez
Jamie
Eve
Northernstars.ca is published by the Canadian Independent Visual
and Digital Media Association – A nonprofit corporation.
Toronto, Ontario, M4X 1X7
First published as Northernstars.net February 1, 1998
ISSN 2563 4895