New Hampshire Film Festival 2009

Writer-director Rob Margolies' debut feature bristles with smart dialogue, complex characters and strong performances. Against the backdrop of suburban utopia, the Bernstein family leads a dysfunctional existence. With three foul-mouthed kids, a caffeine-addict mother on the brink and a less than forthcoming father, they suffer an atmosphere so heavy with collective hostility and tension it seems as if the floral-papered walls will come crashing down any minute. Forced to the breaking point, they concede to a family therapy session, where it quickly becomes clear that what's wrong is “about a lot more than dry turkey.” Anger and antagonism give way to moments of self-revelation, as a patient and compassionate Dr. Livingston draws out demons and dark secrets, and the family begins to confront and accept their own humanity. Brutally comic, warmly intimate, always honest, Lifelines is an impressively fresh take on the family drama.

Travelling salesman Thomas Lindsey is the most ordinary man in the world. He tries to make the best of his existence, and despite knowing better, he sells the fake product Wellness to naive people in the American backwoods. The most unusual aspect about him is his hobby, collecting wasps' nests. All in all, Lindsey is a sad softy. When Lindsey discovers his plan of working his way up the corporate ladder doomed to failure, he succumbs like a beaten dog to everything that happens to him.