Andrew Bujalski is king of the poorly named and slightly derogative mumblecore genre: this is his third low-budget movie, a microcosmically sized story produced without the burden of traditional Hollywood plot structures or trained actors. Bujalski creates a tight world about 20-somethings caught between college dreams and adult decisions. Jeannie (Tilly Hatcher), who runs an Austin vintage shop, is struggling with her absent business partner and sleeping with her ex, a law student (Alex Karpovsky), who is giving her advice. The fact that she’s in a wheelchair is refreshingly not a big deal. Her twin sister Lauren (Maggie Hatcher) is a somewhat free spirit, undecided about whether she’ll take a teaching gig overseas. Beeswax is lovely and lovingly shot on film, but even the most precious, realistic moments still need a strong hand in the editing suite.
This article appears in Jun 24-30, 2010.