Newly released prisoner Percy (Alison Elliott) comes to the small town of Gillead, Maine. She was imprisoned 5 years for manslaughter. Sheriff Walsh directs her to the Spitfire Grill. Elderly owner Hannah Ferguson (Ellen Burstyn) recently lost her waitress. She's given a job and a place to live. Hannah's nephew Nahum Goddard (Will Patton) is suspicious. Joe Sperling takes a liking to the newcomer. After Hannah suffers a bad fall, Percy and Nahum's kind-hearted wife Shelby (Marcia Gay Harden) start running the grill. There's a mysterious local hermit and a tree scientist. Percy organizes an essay contest with an entry fee to sell the grill with the help of her former prison mates. Hannah gets tired of the townfolks' sarcasm and gives them the essays to read.
The drama and the characters are done with a very light touch. I like the characters but it's too easy going. There is no tension until the last act. Alison Elliott is pretty and does a good job. I think Joe needs to be a bigger character played by a more charismatic actor. It gets a bit hokey. The townfolks are too monotone. It tries too hard to be fanciful or fails to be fanciful enough. It also needs to advance Percy's character more in the first half. Nahum and Shelby have a better character arc. This is an interesting story about tolerance and salvation but it's done without any tension rising to a super high soaring melodramatic ending. The tearjerker ending feels too manipulative.
The drama and the characters are done with a very light touch. I like the characters but it's too easy going. There is no tension until the last act. Alison Elliott is pretty and does a good job. I think Joe needs to be a bigger character played by a more charismatic actor. It gets a bit hokey. The townfolks are too monotone. It tries too hard to be fanciful or fails to be fanciful enough. It also needs to advance Percy's character more in the first half. Nahum and Shelby have a better character arc. This is an interesting story about tolerance and salvation but it's done without any tension rising to a super high soaring melodramatic ending. The tearjerker ending feels too manipulative.