I saw this film with my wife at a screening in Northwest Indiana, aka the Region. My wife had read the book and was interested in seeing how it adapted to the big screen. She was very happy with the result. I went in not knowing what to expect. Having lived in the Region my entire life, I thought it would be interesting to see how accurately the era was portrayed on film. The area has for decades been riddled with pockets of despair since the decline of the once strong manufacturing base of the 50's, 60's, and 70's. The tough reputation of the residents has always been equal to the compassion they display in taking care of each other. Over the years that compassion has slowly been tempered by a touch of despair that nothing will ever really get better. I was pleasantly surprised by the authentic depiction of the characters. Connor Williams' performance as Ray is truly outstanding. He depicts the reticent attitude so common with people growing up here in the 80's and 90's. He is believable and comes across as truly authentic to the Region. This film probably would have a wider audience appeal if the relationships were depicted more like those in a Mentos commercial or even "Good Will Hunting" with it's fairy tale happy ending. However, that wouldn't be authentic for the region any more than it was for Southie in Boston. True authenticity makes a much more powerful impact in a story, even if it isn't as palatable to the masses.