Finding North

In the opening scene, Wendy Makkena (Sister Act, Air Bud) stars as Rhonda Portelli, a young woman who becomes infatuated with a naked man she sees about to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge. Unfortunately, Travis Furlong, played by John Benjamin Hickey (The General's Daugher, Love! Valour! Compassion!), doesn't take this plunge and save us from the next hour and a half.

We come to find out that Travis is gay, and has become suicidal over his lover Bobby's recent and sudden death. Wendy has generally less than zero to celebrate in terms of job, social life, or future, and (still) lives with her parents (Angela Peitropinto and Freddie Roman) in Brooklyn.

Following instructions left on tapes that constitute his last wishes, Travis and Wendy travel to Bobby's (voice of Jonathan Walker II) hometown, near Dallas, Texas. What follows is a kind of Road Rules adventure that leads them from one important marker to the next in Bobby's past. This process ultimately helps them discover a profound friendship in each other, and realize what it is about their own lives that are worthwhile. Hicky and Makkena are tolerable, but the exceedingly weak script cripples their best efforts. Watching them reminded me of the late great Barry Sanders playing his heart out for the Detroit Lions: every once in a while valiant performance would break him free, but there's only so much anyone can do with a really crappy line.

If you're determined to see Finding North, my advice is to take someone that can make even the dullest activity fun. So why even give it 1.5 stars? I'm gearing up for my Y2K pledge to be kinder and less judgmental.