1989: Surfer Lance (Jason Bernardo) has been absent from his seaside hometown for so long that everybody, including his best friend Dayne (KC Deane), presumed him dead. He then pops up again, promising Dayne another surf, and then disappears again without making good on his promise. However, he does leave Dayne all of his boards. This is not enough for Dayne, who thus far has been a self-centered wannabe writer with no inspiration and really nothing to write about other than surfing. Yet. the latest disappearance of his best friend sure bugs him, so he decides to track him down to return his boards. This leads to a cross-country wild goose chase until he arrives at the farm of Lance's sister Megan (Molly Reid), where he finds Lance pretty much bed-bound and dying from AIDS. He then finds out that Lance is gay, and this is something that was still a big thing in the late 1980's. Dayne must then come to terms with this fact for his friend's sake. Due to Lance's help and his philosophy that is rooted in Tao, he is able to cope. Dayne helps to make Lance's last days unforgettable for the both of them. Prior to that moment, he learns that Megan and Lance's gay friend Val (Humberto Castro) plan to help him with ending his life so that he can leave this earth on his own terms...

A Long Road to Tao is certainly a film that has its heart in the right place, and thanks to a very compelling script, it fills its protagonist's journey to enlightenment with much warmth and makes it utterly relatable. And while great nature backdrops caught by excellent camerawork make the film visually impressive, subtle performances by a solid ensemble keep things grounded throughout, making this a pleasurable and somehat enlightening watch that will have one thinking for quite a while.

review © by Mike Haberfelner

 

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