The LA Film Festival came and went in a flash, leaving behind the faint flicker of some memorable Indie films that (hopefully) get seen again on cable channels like IFC. One of these films was "I'll come Running," written and directed by Spencer Parsons. The film is a poignant example of one my favorite axioms in life, penned by the late great John Lennon: life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans. In the case of the film, a casual one-night stand has life-changing consequences for two young people. Pelle is a young Danish man at his wits end while backpacking through Texas (hey, who can blame him?) and Veronica (Melonie Diaz) is a young pretty American waitress working at a Mexican restaurant. The two meet at the restaurant during what's supposed to be Pelle's last night in town. Veronica is sassy and playfully challenges Pelle's air of superiority. They connect through their shared knowledge of "The Simpsons." Pretty deep connection, huh?

Pelle seems ready to get back to Denmark where he plans to start a new job. His plans, however, derail; instead, life leads Veronica to Pelle's door in Denmark. This "casual" fling shakes life to the core for Veronica, Pelle's best friend and family. Comedy and tragedy are dished out in equal parts in "I'll Come Running." Parsons' little film can be described as a broken romance about what happens when strangers change each other's lives forever. The performances in this lovely little film are very organic. It's truthful in the sense that life is messy, emotional and there are no clear-cut endings. It also demonstrates the complexity of human beings-how we often do the unexplainable and how we are often better served by thinking things through. For me, Parsons took a hopeful look at the human condition. In other words, we're doing the best we know how as we go along. Sure, we fuck up plenty but, at times, we actually grow and evolve from life's many foibles, twists, and turns.

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