Name: Letting Life In
Genre: Drama
Released: 2003-03-22
Duration: 1 h 42 min
Rating: 6.7
Cast: Anne Griffin, Patrick Hall

As an upstanding member of the cinematic community here in the Empire State, I was able to attend a special screening of this film in the Tribeca Film Center in New York City. While the film itself may not cure cancer, cancer DOES play a large role in it.

But mostly it's about life and its Tragic Heroes. What makes some of us run and hide from our past and our problems, while others are willing to face them head on and live life to the fullest - Let Life IN, so to speak. (Okay, okay, bad pun!!)

But seriously, as a filmmaker, I have to respect any independent filmmaker, especially those that get the most out of their low budgets, and that's what I came out of this film thinking. There is a lot of good in it, and perhaps just a little bad, but when you consider the type of budget they had to work with, it might be a miracle that writer-director Steven Creazzo was able to get his film made.

He gets the most out of his cast of young newcomers, and the young actress that played the lead was very good. There is also a lot of music by a singer that sounds suspiciously like Sheryl Crow, though, a quick review of the end credits revealed it wasn't Sheryl! Still for a few minutes, I was fooled! (See the film and you will quickly know what I mean!)

But back to that whole theme of Tragic Heroes. In this film, we quickly learn that the heroin is in remission for Cancer. And while there is a certain level of cornball cheese for the softy in all of us, it is tempered by Hitchock's old lesson .... Suspense versus Mystery. And, it's certainly no mystery that the suspense involved here is that while the heroin begins a new assignment working for a recluse writer (and I can assure you there are plenty of those in the business!!) we can predict the two will opposites will attract easier than if they were in the Paula Abdul song. Still, that suspense revolves around that terrible villain from the beginning that we are just waiting to rear its ugly head. Yes, I'm talking about the girl's cancer.

Now, while Cancer is a very sad and serious subject, there is a lot of positive in this film, not the least of which is that an indie filmmaker was able to get this made despite the lack of any mutants, maniacs or curse words. Again, while I won't sugar coat it, there is a certain level of cheese, it is tempered by the harsh reality of this story, and lack of a Hollywood ending. 

Yet, this film covered as much ground as DYING YOUNG, of which I also really liked. It certainly had similarities to it, only the situation is reversed. The eventual Tragic Hero is working for the employer rather than the opposite. And it made me realize something:

We need these Tragic Heroes in cinema, almost as much as we do in life.

The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)

"Letting Life In" explores a single year of life between two people. Michael, a reclusive novelist, lives in a small town in upstate New York. He knows nothing of living life beyond the suffocating walls he has built for himself. Sarah, a cancer survivor, takes a job as Michael's personal assistant. Now free of her illness she uses this opportunity to live life for the first time, finally experiencing all the things she never could. Sarah's new lease on life sparks Michael's deep desires to start living again, and to finally face the truths of his past. Together they embark on a journey of self-discovery and unlock the true life, and love, within each other. Sarah shows Michael the beauty of life around him - from the smell of a simple flower, to the power of a raging river, to ultimate passion of love between two souls. Soon Michael evolves from a fearful person living in the past, to a man willing to live life once again. Unfortunately, in discovering this new life and love, comes the greatest test of all - saying good-bye. Sarah's cancer returns and Michael is now faced with the loss of the single thing that gives him life. But what Sarah has given Michael over their year of love will enable him to not only be there for her, but to go on in life without her - stronger than he has ever been before. This is "Letting Life In," a journey of existing in the moments that make life worth living and love worth finding.

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Anne W. Griffin and Patrick Hall - "Letting Life In."

Letting Life In

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