It takes a lot of laughter and tears to put one foot in front of the other and pick up the pieces after a heartbreak and loss, and Ehlen shows us all the teary emotional details.Ī real joy in MAYBE SOMEDAY is the relationship between Jay and Tommy. Is Jay ready for whatever comes next?Įhlen has a great grasp on the cinematic elements of storytelling and uses them to excellent advantage to bring this story to life, starting with the story itself.įinding a believable and resonant balance between joy and sorrow, heartbreak and humor, we are able to see Jay’s emotional growth as she slowly finds courage and footing to hopefully move on. But what happens when not a text, but a phone call comes from Lily.

There is laughter and joy and lots of hijinks, including a drag show with Jay and Tommy as the “stars” that brings out the best in everyone. A friendship develops that is real and engaging.

Slowly, without her realizing it, Jay starts getting out of her own way (but for constantly checking her old-school cell phone for hoped-for texts from Lily) thanks to Tommy. Stopping at the home of high school best friend Jess to regroup before moving onward to Los Angeles or heading back to Lily, so desperate for love and companionship and stuck in the past, Jay gets mired in memories of her unrequited secret love for Jess, a torch she held long before ever coming out as a lesbian.Ĭrawling deeper and deeper inside herself, wallowing in past dreams of Jess and fear of confessing same now, as well as her past with Lily and love in general, Jay is stuck that is until she meets Tommy, a gregarious, outgoing gay man who long ago gave up on love. Ever hopeful that Lily will “find herself”, Jay’s denial that the marriage may actually be over is so strong that it is almost crippling. And that’s exactly what writer/director Michelle Ehlen does with MAYBE SOMEDAY, an engaging and hopeful film.ĭrawing on her own divorce and cross-country move west as a foundation for MAYBE SOMEDAY, Ehlen stars as Jay, a non-binary photographer in her 40s, battling denial and depression during a forced “time out” from her wife Lily. It brings authenticity and resonance that is grounded in real emotion and truth. It has long been said that when writing a story, a book, a novel, a film, write about what you know.

Maybe someday review