Plot Summary

In rural Alaska, an jaded lounge singer struggles to raise her sulky teenage daughter, while beginning a relationship with a local handyman. Director John Sayles's ambitious film follows a intriguing narrative path that starts with a budding romance, then switches to a struggle for survival.Set in Alaska, where the rugged lifestyle of fishermen and cannery workers is gradually giving way to tourism and museums, LIMBO features a colorful cast of characters--a fisherman who has lost his boat, lesbians who own a profitable Alaskan lodge, bar patrons reflecting on the transformation of the state into one huge theme park. The narrative soon focuses on an itinerant lounge singer (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) who begins a romance with a local handyman (David Strathairn), much to the chagrin of her moody teenage daughter (Vanessa Martinez). Continuing the narrative experiments of director John Sayles's previous films (LONE STAR, MEN WITH GUNS), LIMBO eventually takes a surprising turn, leading to a risky and controversial conclusion that critics either applaud or loathe. LIMBO is a story about telling stories, whether it be in the form of bar rants, Mastrantonio's surprisingly good singing, or the vivid diary found in an abandoned house. This unique film also looks at how people cope with tragedy and learn to take risks again.