Inventing the Abbotts

A talented young cast boosts this rough-edged romantic drama concerning two brothers from the wrong side of the tracks. Their intertwining relationships with daughters of the most powerful family in their small town cover several years, and director Pat O'Connor paints the characters' changing lives in detailed, believable strokes. Romantic and full of crowd-pleasing class conflict, Inventing the Abbotts might best be described as an '80s Brat Pack drama with added emotional depth. An entertaining (if minor) drama, it will appeal most to teen and twentysomething audiences.