A story about a 40-year-old woman sleeping with her best friend's teenage stepson seems perfect for a cheesy Lifetime movie-of-the-week.
But when such a story is written and acted as well as "Tadpole," it's difficult to even consider them in the same league.
"Tadpole" refers to Oscar, played by newcomer Aaron Stanford, who is returning home for Thanksgiving from his ritzy prep school as the film opens.
Turned on more by educated women with knowledge of Voltaire than by girls his own age, Oscar pines for his stepmother, Eve (Sigourney Weaver), who is completely clueless about his affection.
But then he drunkenly sleeps with Diane (Bebe Neuwirth), Eve's closest friend, and finds himself stuck in a web of middle-aged admirers while still lacking the one woman he truly loves. To make matters worse, the woman he has slept with is threatening to spill the beans.
"Tadpole" is a triumph of independent filmmaking. The jerky visuals -- shot on video -- give away the film's low-budget roots, but the intelligent script, written by Niels Mueller and Heather McGowan, is a gem. The writing is alternately hilarious and poignant, and Oscar's infatuation is completely believable.
Stanford's performance certainly is the reason Oscar seems so real. With only a few TV guest shots under his belt, he gives the meaty role all he has and creates a wonderfully complex character that goes well beyond his lines in the script.
