Samantha (Martha Plimpton) has a charmed life, mostly. She has two loving parents, a zest for life, and a great talent for playing the violin. On her 21st birthday, however, her parents drop a bomb when they tell her she is adopted. Innovative to a T, Samantha first plans her own suicide but ends up only blowing smoke. Next, she moves out of her parents' home and in with her old friend and fellow music student, Henry (Dermot Mulroney). Although their relationship is platonic, Henry is the proverbial boy next door who has stood by Sam through her adventurous childhood. This includes the time she almost drowned while re-creating a Houdini trick. Still reeling with discontent, Sam announces she can not even play the violin in Henry's quartet. Their college recital is weeks away. Henry replaces Sam's violin role with gorgeous Elaine and Elaine goes after Henry's heart. Can Samantha wake up and realize the reality of her parents' love and perhaps Henry's as well? This is little gem of a film with a quirkiness that is strongly appealing. Samantha is truly one who walks to a different drum beat and Plimpton does a fine job relating her antics. This is Mulroney's moment to shine as well, as his Henry is charming and touching and he does all of his own cello work. The rest of the cast is nice, the costumes eye-catching and the musical score is absolutely wonderful. If you like films that are something out of the ordinary, you will like Samantha. It has romance, beautiful music, and laughs, yes, but breaks the bounds of traditional comedy in a big way.
