1989: Surfer Lance (Jason Bernardo) has been absent from his seaside hometown for so long that everybody, including his best friend Dayne (KC Deane) presumed him dead. And then he pops up again, promises Dayne another surf, and then disappears again without making good his promise, but leaving Dayne all his boards. This is not enough for Dayne, who has so far been a self-centered wannabe writer with no inspiration and really nothing to write about other than surfing. But the latest disappearance of his best friend sure bugs him so he decides to track him down to return his boards. This leads to a cross-country wild goose chase until he arrives at the farm of Lance's sister Megan (Molly Reid),, where he finds Lance pretty much bed-bound and dying from Aids. And he finds out that Lance is gay, something tht was still a big thing in the late 1980s, and something he has to come to terms with for his friend's sake. And Dayne manages to, also with Lance's help an his philosophy that's rooted in Tao. And Dayne helps making Lance's last days unforgettable for the both of them. But then he learns that Megan and Lance's gay friend Val (Humberto Castro) plan to help him killing himself so that he can leave this life on his own terms ...

A Long Road to Tao is certainly a film that has its heart in the right place, and thanks to a very compelling script, it fills its protagonist's journey to enlightenment with much warmth and makes it utterly relatable. And while great nature backdrops caught by excellent camerawork make the film visually impressive, subtle performances by a solid ensemble keep things grounded throughout, making this a pleasurable and somehat enlightening watch that will have one thinking for quite  while.

review © by Mike Haberfelner

 

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