Marcie's

The movie captures the heart of small-town life through Marcie's dream of owning Ed's Tavern... a place where community and tradition thrive. I loved how it portrayed the real struggles and stresses of being a small business owner, especially when facing modern challenges and powerful outside forces. The story beautifully showed how a community can rally together to protect what matters, blending the charm of old-fashioned loyalty with the need to adapt to a fast-changing, high-tech world. It's an inspiring and heartfelt reminder of the power of perseverance, connection, and hometown pride.

I enjoyed the acting and what it took to really create and give each character and the plot line such depth. You can see how naturally they interacted with one another which made it believable.

Real characters to whom I could easily relate and the kind of place I want to inhabit. A real family and nobody trashed, not even the "villain" developer. Gorgeous forest and great scene construction; creative use of spaces. OMG did the actors really do their own improv??? Wow. Russell's comedic arc was so well done. Loved this film!!!

The acting was impressive. Marcie comes across as a deep thinker, warm and loving; just perfect as the bartender manager owner-to-be. Murph rocks as the quiet, steadfast friend and partner; his underplayed character strongly supports Marcie and Russell both. Soph is an emerging star; we are looking forward to more roles from her! Just a great ensemble working with quality writing; they build a strong story that resonates deeply.

Marcie's draws you into a group of regular working people who are connected by their involvement with a bar in the woods just outside the metro area of Seattle. The plot, Marcie's efforts to save the bar and the 10-acre property where it resides, is not as important as the personal trials of the characters and relationships that they build during the course of the story. The characters come across as real people living paycheck to paycheck and reaching for their dreams while facing unfortunate setbacks that get in their way. John Helde's film shows us the kind of slice of life that I'll happily take any day.

Marcie's takes us into a small town bar about to be swallowed by market forces. What gracefully builds in the film is a human definition of community, centered on the character of Marcie, who refuses to give up this 'third place' to gentrification. It's easy enough to build drama around people acting evil. A greater challenge is portraying the everyday good all around us without leaning on saccharine truisms, and Marcie's walks that line. Bad transmissions, greedy landlords, and high maintenance siblings continually push on the people of Marcie's, and yet they persist on coming together with warmth and humor. The solid cast and Helde's deft direction give us clear insight into the spark that ignites communal resistance.

"Marcie's" is an indie gem that starts you in reality - and draws you into the pursuit of dreams and the power of community and perseverance as forces for good.

The cinematography places you squarely in the middle of it all - intimate, fragile, and full of movement - as a neighborhood fights to save its beloved institution: Ed's Tavern, the kind of place where everybody knows your name.

Writer, director, and all-around magician John Helde draws directly from real life, crafting a story that feels less like scripted drama and more like a lived experience. You don't just watch Marcie's - you live it.

The film follows a woman chasing her dream of owning the tavern she's worked in for years, alongside a property owner, a land broker, and the family and community members caught in between. As tensions mount, the community rallies to stop the closure and redevelopment of the neighborhood's anchor - the place that shaped their identities and holds the memories of generations.

Through a blend of grounded cinematography and deeply human screenwriting, Marcie's radiates authenticity. Scenes feel lifted directly from life, capturing moments that quietly draw you in before hitting with emotional force. You walk with the characters. You feel their frustrations, their flickers of hope, and the emotional exhaustion of their uphill fight.

The cast delivers performances that are unfiltered and deeply personal. The film takes us on a journey through small wins, hard compromises, and the sobering realization that community is something you fight for not just once - but again and again.

Marcie's isn't just a movie. It's a message in a bottle for every neighborhood standing on the edge of gentrification. Gritty, defiant, and unmistakably human, it stands firm in a landscape that too often overlooks grassroots stories - and quietly insists: this matters.