Kepler's Dream

Spirits and stars are intertwined themes in this coming-of-age story gorgeously set in New Mexico. Eleven-year-old Ella's mother is fighting a fierce battle against leukemia. With Mom (Kelly Lynch) launching her last medical "mission" and her father absent, Ella is sent to spend the summer with an intimidating grandmother she's never met. Sparks fly between steely "GM" (Holland Taylor, Two and a Half Men) and her strong-willed granddaughter, but the theft of a precious rare book from GM's library sets events in motion that reveal secrets, betrayals, and sorrows that have shaped the family for generations. Ella, like the North Star, helps point the way to resolution as she learns to draw strength from the constellation of love formed by her grandfather's legacy, the bonds of friendship, and her own fighting spirit. Based on an acclaimed novel by Juliet Bell, Kepler's Dream is a compassionate, artful family drama. (Mill Valley Film Festival)