Northwest Film Forum

Irene (Rachel McKeon) is an irresponsible but irrepressibly exuberant front woman of a stereotypical taco-toting Austin band. When her grandfather dies and leaves Irene his long-abandoned and decidedly dilapidated house in Pittsburgh, she jettisons her ATX life to take on the fixer upper, aiming to sell it for a sweet payday. She proceeds to gleefully trash the place, then haphazardly embark on renovations with her newly rediscovered cousin, Cam. The ramshackle house, a splendid labyrinthine old-timey mess modeled after the cartoon environments of Ninja Turtles, is a riveting character itself. But no one steals the show from Irene, a jaw-droppingly mesmerizing hot mess: equal parts slovenliness, explosive passion and pure hilarity, Rachel McKeon gives the performance of the year. 

 

Less interested in sculpting a refined narrative than exploring social interactions and environments, Homemakers pits Irene against challenges like a surprise visit from her conniving ex-girlfriend, who throws a wrench in Irene's hard-won emotional growth. Matt Bryan’s score, laced with tender, antiqued piano interludes, adds another soul-searing layer to the music-infused comedy. 

 

The influences are distinctive and many: Jan Svankmajer's Alice (Healey said, "In production, we liked to joke that the Homemakers’ sets looked like Jan Svankmajer had beat up Wes Anderson"), Werner Herzog's Aguirre the Wrath of God (Rachel McKeon's eyes may as well be cousins to Klaus Kinski's), and John Cassavetes's A Woman Under the Influence (Healey and McKeon share a deep love for Gena Rowlands).

 

"Unique, inspired, and rough-hewn…wonderful filmmaking married with a truly spectacular, balls-out performance by leading lady Rachel McKeon"  -James M. Johnston (producer of Ain't Them Bodies Saints and Listen Up Philip)