Ami Canaan Mann directs the touching drama Jackie and Ryan in which two people whose lives are lacking any finite direction discover that together their goals are much clearer. Jackie (Katherine Heigl) is a single mother struggling to attain sole custody of her daughter, and Ryan (Ben Barnes) is a traveling musician whose lack of confidence in his own material prevents his true talent from shining. The two meet by pure chance on the street of Jackie’s hometown as Ryan is busking. She questions why he does not play his own songs and Ryan finds trouble answering this. They part ways but a chance of pure fate reconnects the two and their earlier meeting is a launching pad for their relationship. From a simple view point the story progress in a typical love story arch, however when we address the details it has more depth and is fairly unique.
Although it's set in Jackie’s hometown, the location comes to represent very similar things for both characters, highlighting their connection. For the recently divorced Jackie, who left behind a successful music career and luxury condo in NYC to come back to her hometown, the place is is a retreat, a safety net that she despises to some extent. At first glance the town simply represents another stop in Ryan's never-ending travel through America. However the town also has a homely connection for Ryan as his traveling mentor, who he sees as a father figure, has now settled down and resides there with his wife and child.
The two characters inevitable relationship is a sharing of qualities, a balancing of their seemingly difference personalities. Jackie finds the courage to let go of the condo holding her down in New York and Ryan something to hold onto thanks to the love he feels for Jackie and Lia (Emily Alyn Lind). What makes this film certainly interesting in the romance genre is its depth and ability to explore the various levels of the relationship, characters and story. Heigl allows us to be extremely sympathetic to her situation by bringing very believable reactions to the challenges she faces. Ryan’s troubles can seem trivial compared because Jackie’s decisions have an effect on other people's lives, while his decisions only impact him. However Barnes' performance brings to light Ryan’s strong and humble nature, he is also in need of saving.
