NOLA

Year: 2002
USA: Fireworks Pictures
Cast: Emmy Rossum, Mary McDonnell, Steven Bauer, James Badge Dale, Thom Christopher, Michael Cavadias, Joe Ambrose, Lou Cantres, Sam Coppola, Taj Crown, Janis Dardaris, Robert Kabakoff, Adam LeFevre, LeDonna Mabry, Dominic Marcus, Lynne Matthew, Bernie McInerney, Michael Medeiros, Stephanie Mnookin, Al Nazemian, Larry Pine, James Ransone, Matt Servitto, Timothy Owen Waldrip, Jerry Walsh, Damian Young
Director: Alan Hruska
Country: USA
USA: 97 mins
USA Rated: R for language and some sexual content
USA Release Date: 29 August 2003

Synopsis

Nola (Emmy Rossum) leaves her abusive stepfather and the tornados of Kansas for New York to follow the faint trail of her biological dad whom she's never known. With nothing more to go on than a nickname, Nola has readied herself for the impossible search with the dream of also making it as a singer/songwriter.

After a cold night spent in Central Park, Nola lands a job at an East Village diner owned by an eccentric and mysterious woman named Margaret (Mary McDonnell), who runs an escort service. Margaret recognizes in Nola a fellow outsider and offers her a place in her extended family that includes Ben (James Badge Dale), the diner's cook and part-time law student, tabloid columnist Leo (Steven Bauer), and a transvestite named Wendy (Michael Cavadias) who is one of Margaret's 'girls'.

Nola flourishes in her strange new life and surroundings, and thinks she might be falling for the cook.

However after the transgendered Wendy defends herself against a client, Niles Sternlicht (Thom Christopher), he threatens to destroy Margaret's life and career. Like a romantic comedy with a cynical twist, NOLA makes the impossible seem even probable as Nola and Ben come to Margaret's rescue. But will Nola find more out about the past she has never known?