The Indie Film Corner: ‘Celeste and Jesse Forever’

By Dennis Tavernetti
“Celeste and Jesse Forever” from The Indie Series presented by Emerging Pictures in HD at USCB Center For the Arts Monday, October 22 at 6:30 p.m.
Synopsis: Celeste and Jesse met in high school, married young and are growing apart. Now 30, Celeste (Type A) is the driven owner of her own media consulting firm, Jesse (Type Zzzz) is once again unemployed and in no rush to do anything with his life. Celeste is convinced that divorcing Jesse is the right thing to do — she is on her way up, he is on his way nowhere, and if they do it now instead of later, they can remain supportive friends. Jesse passively accepts this transition into friendship, even though he is still in love with her. As the reality of their separation sets in, Celeste slowly and painfully realizes she has been cavalier about their relationship, and her decision, which once seemed mature and progressive, now seems impulsive and selfish.
Ratings & Reviews: Internet sites IMDb: 6.7 and Rotten Tomatoes: Critics/70 and Audience/76. Good marks. Critics: Philadelphia Inquirer:  “… delightfully funny”; Boston Globe:  “… sardonic, hip, heartfelt”; New York Times: “… swell…”; USA Today: “…delves into the complicated heart of relationships, exposes some painful truths and allows melancholy to co-exist alongside breezy humor”; Roger Ebert: “… a good-hearted romantic comedy about a likable couple — so likable, indeed, that it swims upstream against the current…”.
Previewer Comments:  This romance drama with lots of funny moments illustrates the paths of change that occur in all romantic love couplings. What starts out one way is sure to change on both sides in the future. Things change … stuff happens … we are people, after all, and though love may remain constant overall, it certainly ebbs and flows as reality impinges on our being as married couples.  To borrow from the Bard — this film asks the question over and over — “To be or not to be.” Except in this case the issue is: To be friends or to married? An enjoyable film.
Rated: R for language, sexual content, and social drug use.
Tickets for adults are $7, seniors $6, students $5. Call USCB Center for the Arts box office at 843-521-4145 or purchase day of performance.