Joshua Leonard

Trailer for The Lie. Based on the acclaimed New Yorker short story by T.C. Boyle, The Lie is a candid, yet charming look at how a seemingly harmless and momentary lapse of judgment can lead to life-altering calamity. Lonnie (Joshua Leonard) and Clover (Jess Weixler) were once young idealists -- destined to change the world, until an unanticipated pregnancy derailed their plans. Instead of making their mark, the pair finds themselves trapped in a bourgeois nightmare, hosting BBQ's and arguing about organic diapers. Clover is in her final year of law school, while Lonnie, stuck in a nine-to-five routine, remains in a daze about the artistic lifestyle they were forced to abandon. Deciding he needs some time away from his soul-sucking job to renew his stalled aspirations, Lonnie calls in sick and creates a shocking lie to justify his absence. Swept away in a series of misadventures beyond his control, he attempts to close the Pandora's Box, but finds that it is too late. As Lonnie's crudely constructed lie begins to unravel, The Lie takes us on a journey of self-discovery as it astutely examines what it means to be an adult, and the steps we all take to get there...eventually.

Vera Farmiga's directorial debut, Higher Ground, is a coming-of-age drama in which Farmiga delivers a subtle, nuanced performance completely from the gut, with equally strong and compelling supporting characters. Set against the backdrop of the Sixties, when feminism reached its zenith, the film expertly depicts the landscape of a tight-knit spiritual community. Inspired by the resonant memoir from Carolyn Briggs (who also wrote the screenplay), the film is an exquisite study of one woman's internal struggle with the primary love relationships in her life.

When they first met, Lonnie and Clover were young idealists, but an unplanned baby forced them to flip the script. Lonnie put his music on hold and got a shitty job. And now Clover is abandoning her activism for an "opportunity" in the corporate world. Drowning in disappointments, Lonnie decides he needs some time off work to reexamine his life. He calls in sick, but his abusive boss demands he show up or get fired. Lonnie panics and tells a shocking lie to justify his absence - and once the lie if out, there's no going back. Now it's only a matter of time before the grenade he's thrown on his life explodes and Lonnie is suddenly pushed to figure out who he is, what he wants, and just maybe, what it means to be a father.

The Lie -- Trailer for The Lie