The USA Network made its first ever independent film acquisition by snagging ‘The Space Between’, a drama starring Melissa Leo. Written and directed by Travis Fine, the movie premiered at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival.
Montine McLeod (Academy Award® nominee Melissa Leo) is a world-weary flight attendant who is one more warning away from being fired for her unfriendly countenance with passengers. Alienated from her own family—her mother is dying of Alzheimer’s and her preacher brother is shunned from his small-town community for certain indiscretions—she is lonely and unhappy. Meanwhile, when 10-year-old Omar Hassan is awarded a scholarship to a prestigious boarding school, his father seizes the opportunity to give his sweet and precocious son a better life than his—driving a taxi by night and working as a janitor by day. Under the custodianship of Montine, Omar is put on a flight to Los Angeles on the morning of September 11, 2001….
When news of the attacks break, Omar and Montine are grounded in Longview, Texas. After learning of the boy’s direct connection to the tragic events, McLeod musters the compassion she could never afford her own family and embarks on an unsanctioned cross-country road trip to an uncertain future in New York City. Leo delivers a heartfelt performance alongside a strong cast directed by actor Travis Fine, who conceived of the story while working as a first officer pilot on a regional jet for American Airlines.
–Roya Rastegar | Tribeca Film Festival
The Space Between will air on Sept. 11, 2011, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks.