Laura Smiles

Story

Synopsis

"Laura Smiles" is an alarmingly effective portrait of a woman's mental breakdown. We are introduced to "Laura" at her happiest time, in a warm, loving relationship with her fiancé (a very appealing Kip Pardue) in the city, literally the love of her life. In flashbacks, we then see the sweet development of this relationship out of order as these moments become brightly lit and colored memories that desperately intrude on her later in life, as she becomes consumed with guilt and remorse over his fate. These feelings start to overwhelm her current life as a wife and mother. As something inconsequential in what she calls her "suburban drudgery" triggers the past -- in the supermarket, cooking, cleaning, at a school play-- she acts out increasingly aberrantly to counteract the feelings they generate, especially when she can no longer distinguish past from present from dreams, recalling Blanche Du Bois.

Director

Jason Ruscio

Writers

Jason Ruscio

Language

English

Country

United States of America

Release date

22 September 2006

Box office

$4,110

Ensemble

Cast

• 

  Petra Wright

  Laura

• 

  Mark Derwin

  Mark

• 

  Kip Pardue

  Chris

• 

  Jonathan Silverman

  Paul

• 

  Ted Hartley

  Therapist

• Stephen Sowan

  Billy

• 

  Scott Chernoff

  Emperor