Saint Frances

At 34, Bridget's (Kelly O'Sullivan) life could look a little more orderly: The (no longer quite) young woman dropped out of writing school after two semesters. A steady partner is not in sight, nor is a goal-oriented career towards becoming a writer. The temporary job as a waitress is frustrating, the unwanted pregnancy with a much younger man is unsettling, and the option of an abortion is more than just on the table. Then one day Bridget is offered a summer job as a nanny for her six-year-old daughter Frances (Ramona Edith Williams) by a lesbian couple so that the two mothers can look after their newborn. Bridget has no idea about childcare, but her heart is in the right place and she has all sorts of ideas on how to win Frances' trust and give her and herself new courage... Director Alex Thompson's debut film, for which his partner Kelly O'Sullivan (who also plays the lead role of Bridget in the film) wrote the screenplay, is captivating, refreshingly true to life and full of warm-heartedness. The Audience Award at the South by Southwest Festival was one of the many honors and awards that this emotional coming of age story about an aimless representative of Generation Y was able to win. In addition to the well-developed supporting characters, the performance of the young child actress Ramona Edith Williams as the delightfully bright “Saint Frances” - derived from St. Francis of Assisi - is also phenomenal.