How can we ask someone to not be attached to another person? Can we ask the heart to obey the demand of a human mind? Even though we may wish so, that’s not what happens in reality and the reason for it is life itself.

Finn Faber (Tyler Shaw) is an inspiring musician. He writes and performs his own songs. He knocks on the door of every single bar and restaurant in the hope of getting a chance to perform for the public on Friday nights. But the opportunity comes not from where he anticipated as he was hired to entertain sick kids at the hospital. He is assigned to distract Sophia (Sadie Munroe) from her leukemia, which has literally put her in depression and made her distance herself from other children. At first, Finn has problems communicating with the 9-year old girl, but once she finally breaks the barrier, the two bond closely enough for both to realize what exactly they need from this life.

Alice and Dan, Sophia’s parents, is everything what Finn wishes to have in his parents. Not knowing them well, the young man does his best to make his Wednesdays with Sophia as meaningful as possible. As the two begin talking about life, the girl starts once again drawing amazingly beautiful pictures while Finn continues singing songs for her. As you watch the two grow from the pain caused by two different reasons, we see them learning to navigate through the turbulent life of one another, while Finn does what he should have never done as an entertainer at the sick kids hospital – get attached so much that he will find it hard to detach himself from the bond he’s developed with Sophia.

Written and directed by Cat Hostick, “The Meaningful Life” is a relatively small movie but with a giant heart. As you watch it, you can easily tell the degree of care the film has towards its characters. For instance, the film itself has nothing negative nor upsetting, but rather goes through the tide of life that has its own ups and down which both Sophia and Finn have to sail together. Of course, both have different paths to end up in, however, each of them is compelling enough to love and support them all the way through until the curtain goes down.