Acclaimed Australian actor Anthony LaPaglia teams up with novice writer/director Joshua Sternfeld to bring to the screen an intimate tale of a family in crisis.Jim Winters (Anthony LaPaglia) is a landscape gardener who lives with his two sons Gabe (Aaron Stanford) and Pete (Mark Webber) in a modest home in the suburbs. They’ve been in an emotional holding pattern since their wife and mother was killed in a car accident. Gabe’s announcement that he is dumping girlfriend Stacey (Michelle Monaghan) and going to Florida; and younger brother Pete’s flunking school, sends Jim into a tail spin. With the arrival of new neighbour Molly Ripken (Allison Janney), Jim’s emotions are reawakened.Everything about this film screams realism. The scripting and direction are so unobtrusive and understated that you have to read between the lines. La Paglia brings much sensitivity and tenderness to his role as the grieving father which is finely balanced against the small but solid ensemble cast that all feels so right. Winter Solstice departs from the usual movie fare, forsaking dramatic tension and a conventional narrative to capture real life with such authenticity, I forgot I was watching a movie. It places you right in the heart of this family as it experiences a renewal of spirit after a devastating tragedy.
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