Road To L’Etape Du Tour Movie Review *Now playing at the Phoenix Film Festival

This is a story about a young woman who decides to finally put others aside and do something for herself. However, there’s a journey to that moment, which is what you get from this film. ​
Amy (Coulter) is very close to her father who has made plans to ride in the Tour de France. Though she was born with Pulmonary Atresia, a heart defect where one of her heart valves formed too small, blocking blood flow to her lungs, she wants to go with him. He suggests she train and get cleared by the cardiologist to go next year. Owning a bike shop, he’ll even build her a bike for the ride. She’s excited for him, but sad for herself. She’ll continue with testing, training, and aiming for the next one, something to look forward to.

“The best-laid plans of mice and WOmen,” am I right? Sorry for joking. Some of us know that saying all too well. Right before the race, her father passed away. She’s reeling from that, then her test results aren’t good. Her doctor now wants her to have an ultrasound of her liver. Not good. Her fiancé, Jacob (Brian Muller), with whom she seems to have more of a platonic relationship than anything else, doesn’t understand the connection between the heart and the liver; suffice it to say, it’s a good thing he didn’t go into medicine.

Health issues aren’t about to stop her from pursuing her dreams. In Lucas (Luis Augusto Figueroa), a man who manages her father’s shop, she finds a friend and someone to train with. He tells her about the L’Etape Du Tour. It’s not the Tour de France, it’s a stage of it. They have three months to prepare, so he sets a schedule and creates weekly goals she can reach. He creates tangible goals to help with self-esteem.

They get close to one another, and he points out things she has long avoided, consequences. Not accomplishing, or even attempting tasks, was easily blamed on her heart or her mother leaving when the woman couldn’t or didn’t want to care for the baby with the heart defect. Lucas tells her that it’s she herself holding her back from doing what she wants. She is the person making the decisions in her life, the main one is not living it.

This film is very intense and inspirational. The acting is fantastic, the cinematography hits all the marks, and the soundtrack couldn’t be better. Listen to the lyrics of the last song played in the movie. They fit the storyline and are beautiful. The end is fantastic. Amy looks toward the covered bridge she just crossed. That’s the past. It’s time to move forward.

Watch and applaud Julia Coulter’s work here.

The film will be screened at the Phoenix Film Festival on:

Friday, April 17^th at 4:05 PM MST
Harkins Scottsdale 101 – Theatre 2

Saturday, April 18^th at 11:30 AM MST
Harkins Scottsdale 101 – Theatre 3

Sunday, April 19^th at 1:45 PM MST
Harkins Scottsdale 101 – Theatre 2