With their partners away serving in Afghanistan, a group of women on the home front form a choir and quickly find themselves at the centre of a media sensation and global movement, in this feel-good story from Peter Cattaneo (The Full Monty).
Life on a military base can be uneventful, especially for the wives who are left behind when their partners are called to duty. Kate (Kristin Scott Thomas) is one of these women, bearing the stress and monotony with grace and forebearance. As the long-standing chair of the Social Committee, Kate has a hard time stepping away when newcomer Lisa (Sharon Horgan) is appointed in her place. The two women have very different definitions of social activities: Kate wants the group to continue with her busy calendar of book clubs and community work, while Lisa prefers to find any excuse for a glass of wine. When the idea of starting a choir is first broached, the women theoretically find common ground — even if they don't see eye to eye on the approach. Nonetheless, as the group begins to practice, they soon discover that the joy of singing is infectious and the first military wives choir is born.
Discovering that they can rely on each other for more than beautiful harmonies, the members come together to confront the challenges of having a partner at war, to face the uncertainty of their fates, and to acknowledge how much of their identity is wrapped up in their husbands.
Inspired by the international phenomenon of military wives choirs, Peter Cattaneo (The Full Monty) crafts an emotive and poignant story about a group of women who realize that their partners in Afghanistan aren't the only ones whose circumstances can lead to unbreakable bonds of camaraderie, belonging, and deep friendship.
DIANA SANCHEZ
Screenings
Elgin Theatre
Scotiabank 4
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