A suburban wife and mother longs to escape the monotony of her daily routine and the stress caused by her underwhelming adult children.

The children have become grown-ups, if not quite adults, while the parents have drifted into middle age without reaping the promised benefits. Jim (Edward Burns) and Tina (Jennifer Ehle) have a post-work ritual: he chugs a beer, she sips a martini, someone sorts out supper, and the conversation, all too often, concerns the kids. Frankie (Brian Wiles) and Debbie (Hannah Dunne) are both in their twenties, both still living at home. Frankie has a job in sales he's destined to screw up; Debbie is unemployed and enjoying the extra time it leaves for staying out late, sleeping in, and hanging out with a boyfriend her father can't stand. As the atmosphere tilts between high tension and deep affection, with everyone seemingly surrendered to the status-quo, some urge inside Tina is growing - and is about ready to explode.—Toronto International Film Festival

Director and actor Edward Burns, observant, and very funny,Beneath the Blue Suburban Skies (2019) finds Burns crafting his most mature work while losing none of his edge: he loves these characters, but he won't let them off the hook. With its black-and-white imagery, minimal cuts, and a mere handful of locations, the film provides ample space for the characters to reveal themselves in subtle, intriguing ways - especially Ehle (Beneath the Blue Suburban Skies (2019)), who allows glimmers of Tina's desperation to break through her crust of maternal love, sardonic wit, and drink.—Toronto International Film Festival