What's Been Said

Lucky Head Films

What's Been Said

"Local filmmaker Rebecca Rodriguez has earned a solid reputation for such shorts as Soul Collectors and Floater. But with Coming Up Easy, the writer-director makes an impressive feature debut. Family dysfunction and domestic abuse are at the forefront of this powerful drama. Solid performances, stylish direction and an assured script fuse together to make Coming Up Easy a poignant drama laced with touches of bittersweet comedy."

David Walker, The Willamette Week
March 3, 2004

"Coming Up Easy, from writer-director Rebecca Rodriguez, is a harrowing drama of familial dysfunction. The tight script, original visual sense and surprisingly strong acting pay off."

Mark Mohan, The Oregonian
April 2, 2004

Emotional, heartfelt roller-coaster ride of a dysfunctional family

Highly recommended ....This movie stayed with me for quite sometime; which, as a real film lover, I say as a compliment. This movie is about something, and I really felt this film. The straightforward direction style, the strong performances, the visual excitement of the fantasy scenes, and the well-crafted script kept me involved on a cinematic level, but the story and the empathy for Lily (the lead character) had my emotions in a whirlwind. This only comes from the kind of storytelling that draws you into the characters lives. Ms Rodriguez' fine directing uses just enough cinematic visual effects to add flavor to the film without showing off and drawing attention to her directing. I'd love to see more work from this talented writer/director.

Art Hatley Palo Alto, CA - online review

A Stunning Entry
This dynamic portrayal of a young woman gamely moving on and up from the chaos, hurt and enduring bruises of an abusive past--one that suddenly lands on her present doorstep in the form of her struggling sister, hellion brother-in- law and stability starved nephews--heralds a stunning entry into features for filmmaker Rebecca Rodriguez. If the look and feel of this remarkable effort are any indication, her future in cinema is very bright indeed!

At times subtle, other times overpowering, "Coming Up Easy" is always riveting, rings authentic throughout and features an exceptional cast.
Highly recommended.

Jesse Oppenheimer from Los Angeles, CA - online review

Very Cool!
These were the first words that I thought of when I watched this: It was sweet and intense and colorful and real. I liked it very much. On more than one occasion, I was surprised by the direction events took. This is good. The characters were all a little whack in their own ways and that was good, too.

There were flashbacks and they didn't interrupt the narrative and they FELT like flashbacks, momentary reveries, in their implementation. I encourage people to see this movie when they can. I hope Rebecca Rodriguez makes more movies and I look forward to seeing them.

Edward Martin III from Tigard, OR - online review

Other Media Coverage