Movie Review: A Sort of Homecoming

The new independent movie A Sort of Homecoming is available on digital HD and On-Demand through Mar Vista Entertainment as of today.

The film tells the story of Amy, a New York news producer (Michelle Clunie from Queer as Folks) for the fictional CZN News in New York City, who thought she left her high school experiences long in the past. [Don’t we all think or hope that is the case?]

Just before departing for a six-month trip overseas, however, she receives a request from her former high school debate coach Annie Landry (Kathleen Wilhoite from Gilmore Girls and ER), which requires her to return to her small hometown in Louisiana.

Without spoiling the exact details as to why Annie “called” Amy back to the South, Amy spends time by Annie’s side reliving – through flashbacks – her tumultuous senior year of high school. In those flashbacks, viewers will see Amy (as played by Disney star Laura Marano) and her debate partner Nick (as played by Chasing Life actor Parker Mack) as they progress through a highly competitive national debate circuit where they meet new friends and competitors, including New Yorker Rosa Conti (as played by Shadowhunters lead actress Katherine McNamara), from top high schools across the country.

As it turns out, Amy and Nick have more than just their debate team in common. They are both from rather dysfunctional homes – Amy being adopted with a family who simply doesn’t understand her and Nick from a family who cowers because of an abusive father and husband.

A Sort of Homecoming gives viewers a behind-the-scenes view of what it is like to be on a high school debate team – not a typical subject for a teen-laced film – and it takes an interesting look at how one year in your life can change your entire future. How one decision that a teenager makes during the most crucial year of their life can have ramifications – good, bad or otherwise. And how, as an adult, you may think that you put your past behind you, but when one incident happens, you realize that you had more unfinished business than expected.