When I was four years old, my father and I moved to Florida from New York. We ended up settling in an industrial town an hour away from Orlando. Like most people who come to this town, we have been here ever since. Now, after graduating from college, I’m back in the same town I grew up in, unsure if I will ever actually leave.
Perhaps that is the reason why God’s Waiting Room, the directorial debut of Tyler Riggs, resonated with me as much as it did. On the surface, it is a typical story of boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy and girl go separate ways. Throw in a convicted killer on parole adjusting to life outside of prison and you’ve got a movie. It isn’t a movie with a deep philosophical message, nor is it completely forgetting how to tell a story to just make pretty shots. It simply exists, engrossing viewers in the whirlwind of emotions surrounding the town.
Rosie (Nisalda Gonzalez) and Jules (Matthew Leone) are the archetypal star-crossed lovers. She’s a small-town girl with big musical dreams, while he is a big city hustler who tries to have a heart of gold. The two characters have great chemistry as both are often awkward yet comfortable around each other. It is a realistic depiction of young, burgeoning love that both Gonzalez and Leone pull off well.
Much like other recent films that lack a plot such as Waves, God’s Waiting Room feels like a music video or artistic shoot. This primarily lies in cinematographer Mack Fischer’s great work that relies on the natural beauty of its locations. IMDB credits the film as being made in Lutz, a small city located twenty minutes north of Tampa, and its small-town charm resonates throughout. Natural lighting is also a recurring aspect of the film that gives the montages of young love blossoming a particularly dreamy feeling.
As far as Riggs’ unnamed character reintroducing himself to the world goes, he doesn’t add much to the overarching story. Most of his scenes seemed to go on for a tad too long and the movie failed to justify why. It would still be a compelling film if his character was cut.
I usually do not like movies that are all style and no substance, however, I couldn’t bring myself to be bored with God’s Waiting Room. This probably has a lot to do with seeing my own hometown in the film. Even though it was filmed in another part of the state, I saw my hometown in the mismatched houses and eerily deserted parking lots. With how many montages of the film’s protagonist are intercut throughout, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Central Florida itself is the main character. Maybe it was the most important character of all.
God’s Waiting Room is more of a feeling than a film. The sweeping shots and realistic performances engross you into the lives of Rosie, Jules, and the quiet resilience of small Central Florida towns. I might not know when I will move out of my hometown for good, but I know the feeling that the film is trying to convey. I experience it every day as I ride to work, shop in the grocery stores, and go on my nightly walks as the sun sets. Even if you don’t live in a town like Lutz or my hometown, you might know this feeling as well.
