Austin Film Festival Movie Review: ‘For When You Get Lost’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Jennifer Sorenson as June Stevenson in ‘For When You Get Lost’.

This piece was written during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Without the labor of the actors currently on strike, the movie being covered here wouldn’t exist.
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If there is one thing, we search for above all in this life, it would be meaning. For we are creatures that need depth regarding our existence, really. Because despite being smart and understanding the power of the atom and our very DNA, we don’t know why we are here, and we don’t know why our lives take the turns they do. Because sometimes, life is tough, and it hurts, and the people we love hurt us and don’t get things right and all of that… can weigh deeply upon our souls and push us to well… search for that meaning in some unique ways. Sometimes, that involves a little soul searching and some positive thinking to find the beauty in who we are and what surrounds us, and other times… it involves some rough rides emotionally and mentally.
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Wherein we decide that being selfish is the way to go, and that we should cut off all contact with the tough stuff and focus on what is beautiful in our lives. And other times… we find that meaning through lamentation. Wherein we ponder deeply upon the past and what could have been if different paths were taken, and what’s fascinating… is that none of those routes to discovering the meaning we seek, is incorrect in nature. Because this strange universe finds ways to put us on the path to get what we want. And there are singular moments that show us that our path for discovery prepared us for the big moment when we find the meaning we crave, and it just so happens that a film screening at the Austin Film Festival explores all of that in a powerful, and sometimes whimsical manner.

A feat that For When You Get Lost accomplishes, by introducing us to a woman named June who is searching for meaning and peace regarding her life and the past she wants to leave behind, and well… the big moment she’s waited for to obtain all of that may be upon her. For her father has grown ill with stage four cancer and wants to see June before his time on this earth ends. Which inspires June to hit the road and collect her sister, who has cut off most ties with the family because of that sordid past, to see their father one last time. For June believes that this is it, the moment that will heal everyone and define their meaning and well… she is indeed right about that. But not in the manner that she thinks, for the road trip that awaits her and her sister Cami, will open her eyes to so much regarding the meaning of life, and what each moment means to us.

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Which really is… the perfect way in which to explore how we find meaning in life, because this is a plot that is quite realistic in nature. Because we have been or will be where June is at in this film, staring down death and pondering up why we are here and what our purpose is and that allows for this movie… to explore some powerful musings regarding the meaning of life, the kind that are actually impactful and not fluffy or nonsensical. For this is that rare film that offers no giant answers about our existence here. Instead… it explores what we should really be looking for in this life, in this moment, and what we truly need to embrace and celebrate on a daily basis. For those elements are what give us meaning and sustain us, and everything else… are moments that are lost to time and should be forgotten.
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Yet, while that powerful exploration is worth the price of admission to this film alone, it offers so much more for the viewer. Because at its heart, this film is a comedy, a movie that echoes the lost soul nature of Sideways but with beer in place instead of wine, and it features those dark moments of humor that we all take part in and will never admit to, making this a very human motion picture. One that is less a grandiose road trip where IPAs are frowned upon, and more of a slice of life. Where people aren’t always at their best, where they stumble and fall and pick themselves up again and get lost and use the guides that we all use in life, to find themselves again. Making this a timeless story that anyone can enjoy at any point in their life to find clarity and wonder and meaning when it seems all hope is fading fast.

Which is a testament to Jennifer Sorenson’s deeply personal and beautiful script, one that gives rise to a story that quite frankly, we all need to experience. Simply because, it clarifies meaning at a time when we all need it, and are all searching for it, so why not let a motion picture help us along?  Because that’s what great storytelling does. It teaches us about the human condition, as it entertains and it also doesn’t hurt that those important moments come forth courtesy of some powerful direction from Michelle Steffes, who coaxes the reality out of actors, that are clearly passionate about giving us their best and that makes this film essential viewing. Because it really is something unique and refreshing, and most important of all… it speaks to us on a fundamental level by pointing us in the right direction when we aren’t sure where life is taking us.

For screening information, please visit the Austin Film Festival’s website.

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