Homemakers

Irene, a high-energy punk singer living in Austin, is not getting along with her bandmates. She accuses the accordion player (her girlfriend) of brazen infidelity before she rips the accordion to pieces in front of a packed audience. The next day, as the band discusses their discordant fate, Irene gets a call. Her grandfather has died and he’s willed her a house in Pittsburgh. Irene drops some Tabasco sauce into her eyes and sobs to her bandmates, “I have to go to Pittsburgh NOW.” Upon arriving, she finds her inheritance is a real dump: broken windows, no electricity, and moody neighbors. Irene is in over her head. After a chance encounter at the local watering hole reunites her with her cousin, she enlists him to help fix up the place—and let’s just say it’s a slow process. HOMEMAKERS is a steadfast ode to Pittsburgh, which manages to get just enough grit, beer, and tenderness to make a heartfelt tribute to the three rivers. – C.P.