Cine Beaverhausen: Life Inside Out

Art imitates life in the indy feature, Life Inside Out, a film about how art elevates life. Maggie Baird, who stars and also co-wrote the screenplay, based the film on her relationship with her son Finneas O'Connell, who plays her son, Shawn, in the film festival award-winning Life Inside Out, and lucky New Yorkers can catch it at the Quad Cinema, 34 West 13th St., between 5th and 6th Aves., NYC the week of January 16-22.

This film is like a wave of fresh air. Beautifully shot and edited from its first images of decoupage, it's the story of a working-class woman who abandons her mundane, domestic routine and lifts up her life, and that of her sensitive and alienated teenaged son, through her musical talents. It is also about the mother/son bonding through the artistic process. And about how real life emotions feed into the creative process. Simply brilliant.

Life Inside Out is a somewhat modern fable with a magic golden coat and a fairy godfather in the form of the local music-store owner. The supporting cast, overall, comes up aces.

Under direction by Jill D'Agnenica, Baird delivers a well-crafted, sweetly naturalistic performance as Laura.

I'm not sure if I've ever seen a motion picture that so poignantly conveyed the universal, human need to create and the struggle against societal "norms" and demands, as well as detailing the creative process itself; how art elevates everyone it touches at many levels.

Richard Skipper will be hosting a Q&A with Ms. Baird and Mr. O'Connell on January 16th, 17th and 18th. Check out Richard Skipper Celebrates http://www.richardskipper.com