The film deserves to be singled out on three scores, I think. First, it’s bold enough to portray spiritual disappointment in a fashion that compares favorably to seminal entertainments like Robbie Benson’s stunning turn in Death Be Not Proud. Second, I think I’ve rarely seen an inspirational film that’s designed to be more therapeutic for those left behind than those who’ve survived. And third—I’ve gotta say that this is a pretty remarkable directorial achievement for young Bradley Dorsey, who can’t be much older than 24. He knows what he’s doing with a camera, and with actors. PureFlix did the right thing in picking this low-budget indie up for distribution. I haven’t been so thrilled with some of their latest acquisitions, but this one is real find.

John Ratzenberger is both a tireless worker—with dozens of films such as Pixar’s A Bug’s Life and several TV series to his credit—and a tireless activist. Success may appear to have come easy for the man most of us remember as either Cliff Clavin or Toy Story’s Hamm, but Ratzenberger himself wouldn’t chalk any of it up as mere happenstance. “As I was traveling for my Travel Channel show John Ratzenberger’s Made in America,” he says, “what I wanted to celebrate was the Judeo-Christian ethic of ‘get up in the morning, put your hand to something useful, and be responsible for yourself.’ … I figured someone’s got to be the Paul Revere and shout from the rooftops that it’s okay if your kid goes into vocational training.”