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Waltzing Sparrows

Writer-director Noah Buschel tackles agoraphobia in "Sparrows Dance", a small examination of a woman who suffers from the fear and the attempts of a young man to pull her into a life of "normalcy".

Marin Ireland plays the unnamed woman. When we first meet her, she lives her entire life within the walls of her apartment. She is not happy, but not visibly distraught with her situation, although a few small moments certainly point to a large, underlying problem. When a complaint comes through her door that the tenant downstairs has a flood in his apartment, she discovers that it is her overflowing toilet that is the culprit. Much of her apartment is ankle-deep in water. That she has not noticed this before seems pretty difficult to believe, but....

When she calls the plumber, she wants to be told how to fix the overflowing toilet over the phone. Once it becomes clear that this is not the way it works, she relents to having a plumber come over to her place and she allows him in. Wes (Paul Sparks), the plumber, is not the sort who has ever shown up at any place I have lived. You don't see the crack of his ass when he bends over to make repairs. He is a well-read, intelligent musician, who is smooth. It is quickly apparent that both parties have some interest in the other.

Ireland is clearly the reason that "Sparrows Dance" works. She is able to convey everything with a pained expression or a small smile. She is an accomplished television actress, and earlier this year she had a major role in "Bottled Up", where she also did an outstanding job with a very different role, although another damaged one. Ireland is clearly a very attractive woman, but at least in these two films she is almost plain, and disdainful of makeup, most of the time.

In addition to Ireland's standout performance, Buschel displays the ability to push an otherwise ordinary story to a level where it can be appreciated. My only two negatives concern the role Wes plays and the views of agoraphobia as presented here. I waivered back and forth in the believability of Wes's character, although I can't say with certainty that a man like him does not exist in reality.

The way agoraphobia is portrayed here lends itself to the belief that true love conquers all. While that may be true, it's not quite as simple as Buschel tells us. Despite these two negatives, "Sparrows Dance" is definitely quality filmmaking and worth your hard-earned dimes. You probably won't flit or dance your way out of the theater, but you may exit with a feeling of hope, always a good thing.