Though the title says Kelly & Cal, this indie film focuses a lot more on Kelly (Juliette Lewis) and her postpartum depression than it does Cal, her 17-year-old wheelchair-bound neighbor. Kelly has recently moved to a location that is close by her husband’s work and his relatives. She is in a funk and has a hard time meeting the neighbors. She finds a “mommies’ group” at the park, but they basically give her the cold shoulder. Her pre-occupied husband, Josh (Josh Hopkins) somehow knows the magic formula on how to get their baby to sleep. This would seem helpful, but it only makes Kelly feel like a failure as a mother.

One day when Kelly can’t handle the sounds of her crying baby, she sneaks out for a smoke and meets the abrupt and incredibly rude Cal (Jonny Weston). Kelly is initially disgusted with the guy, but comes back to Cal’s garage-turned-bedroom daily to hear more of Cal’s rants about life. The two build an awkward friendship that appears to work well for both of them and the more time Kelly spends with Cal, the better she feels about herself.

Kelly is a former punk-rocker and Cal was an artist before his accident that caused him to surrender his life to the wheelchair and lose control of fine motor movements. The two share beers together and Kelly tells herself that the budding friendship is only that, but Cal seems to be taking things a bit more seriously.

To help with his wife’s depression, Josh recruits the help of his mother Bev (Cybill Shepherd) and sister Julie (Lucy Owen). Bev is quirky, but seems to love Kelly as much as her own daughter. She isn’t rattled by any of Kelly’s odd behavior. Julie on the other hand puts on a good face, but thinks the worst of Kelly and resents her. At one point she tells her sister-in-law that she has everything that Julie wants herself, so why isn’t Kelly happy? Kelly just says, “I don’t know.” Meanwhile, the more Kelly learns about Cal, the more she realizes that maybe his troubles are bigger than he lets on.

Kelly & Cal is considered a comedy, and there are a few comedic moments, but to call it a comedy is a bit of a stretch. It is a movie that focuses on unhappy people. Both Kelly and Cal live each day regretting what they used to have rather than embracing what they currently do. As a Christian, it is easy to suggest that all these people need is Jesus in their lives, and that is true. However, even though this story becomes fairly far-fetched, it isn’t something that would never happen to Christians as well. Sometimes we Christians struggle with unhappiness just as much as non-Christians and sometimes we make the same bad choices despite what the consequences are.

Kelly & Cal is rated “R” for a reason. There is a lot of coarse language, swearing and even some nudity that will turn many viewers off, but the film does have a happy ending for one of the two main players, so if you can make it till the end, you’ll be rewarded.