Becks is a story about a musician who searches for love, struggles with life, and writes poetic, beautiful songs. It’s based on the life of Allyssa Robbins, who wrote the original songs used in the film.
Lena Hall plays Becks. When we first meet her she’s part of a duo performing in New York City. Her girlfriend/partner Lucy (Hayley Kiyoko) gets a job in LA and heads off promising to return in 2 weeks.
Two weeks stretches out to longer. Becks packs up and follows Lucy to LA. She drops everything to go be with her woman. When she arrives it’s obvious Lucy just got out of bed with another woman. Becks turns the car around and heads to St. Louis and her mom (the fabulous Christine Lahti).
She doesn’t plan to stay with her mother long but she’s broke and doesn’t know where else to go. To make a little money she puts up flyers about teaching guitar and she starts performing for tips in her high school pal Dave’s (Dan Fogler) bar.
She meets Elyse (Mena Suvari), who is married to her old high school enemy Mitch (Darren Ritchie). She gives Elyse’ guitar lessons. Soon she’s giving her lesbian tips as well and the two of them have a hot and steamy affair.
Becks’ mother is a former nun and still a committed Catholic. She’s doing her best to accept her lesbian daughter. She doesn’t like Becks’ drinking habits and she definitely doesn’t want the details of Becks’ love life. When her son Pete (Michael Zegen) shows up she’s happy to have them both home. For a while.
The finding love situation in St. Louis looks good. Elyse returns the love Becks offers her. Then things reach a crisis point with Elyse, with Pete, with Becks’ mother. Things are bound to break and they do.
This is Lena Hall’s first leading role in a feature film. She has a Tony for her work on Broadway. She does a terrific job both with the acting and singing in Becks. The songs are all heartfelt folk ballads, with lots of breakup tunes. Mena Suvari and Hayley Kiyoko also get in on the singing.
The film tells a quiet story. A love story. It’s about people connecting, or not connecting, about quiet days and nights of love. It’s realistic and honest. It’s full of heart and music. I’m sure it’s classified under the lesbian romance genre, but it’s a universal story about life and love. It should be simply that: a love story.
Becks was co-directed by Daniel Powell and Elizabeth Rohrbaugh. Powell and Rohrbaugh co-wrote the script with Rebecca Drysdale.
Becks is available on Amazon Video and YouTube.