Grassfire

Ordinarily I don't enjoy movies about video games, but Grassfire's use of the device is merely structural. The heart of the movie comes from the relationships among the characters. Considering the film was made only on a $20,000 budget, the acting definitely needed to carry the film, no "Bruckheimer"-esque dependence on explosions and SWAT teams as a crutch. The main character, Randy Johnson (played by Dustin Chase), must balance the responsibility of leading this crew of slackers to complete the game on time against the intrusion of romance into his single-minded pursuit when co-worker Jennifer (Sara Bodenheimer) challenges his views on relationships. In the end, the game is finished, with a comedic "F-you" to corporate scheisters, and Randy finally allows himself to unburden himself and grow. All in all, the cast do an excellent job with a heartfelt script (with the exception of a few cheesy moments and humorous mixed metaphors).