Writer, director, and actor Julia Coulter’s “Road to L’Étape du Tour” is a spirited and sincere indie sports drama that wears its personal passion on its sleeve, even when its ambitions occasionally outpace its execution.
The story follows Amy (Coulter), a woman born with Pulmonary Atresia who has spent her whole life playing it safe. She’s got the small town routine locked in: steady relationship, close with her dad, not much risk-taking. But after a scary cardiac stress test, something changes within Amy. Instead of pulling back even more, she does the exact opposite, eventually deciding to train for L’Étape du Tour, a famous cycling race where amateurs can compete on the same route as the Tour de France.
The underdog style setup is as tried and true as it gets when it comes to compelling storytelling, and there’s an inherent tension in watching someone push their body toward something that might actually be dangerous for them. As expected, the film leans heavily into that vulnerability with a story less about cycling itself and more about what it means to finally question the life you’ve settled into.
This is very much an indie film in the rawest sense. The acting can feel a little uneven, especially in the quieter and more emotional scenes. The filmmaking has its clunky moments too, with awkward pacing and a few scenes that go on way longer than they should. All of this combines to make a narrative that seems to be moving at a glacial pace, so only attempt to tackle this one if you are well rested.
But even when it stumbles, you can tell there’s sincerity behind the film. This isn’t a glossy, crowd-pleasing sports movie, but one that’s more stubbornly introspective. It feels like the director had something specific they needed to say about living with limitations, overcoming fear, and finding the courage to choose your own path when life suddenly feels fragile. Whether it works for you probably depends on how much you connect with that core idea. If you’ve dealt with health challenges or moments where your life got unexpectedly shaken up, there’s a good chance this will hit closer to home. If not, it might feel a bit too slow and narrowly focused to fully grab you.
Either way, it’s hard not to respect what Coulter is going for. The film is messy and a little rough around the edges, but ultimately is a sincere story about perseverance and getting up when the whole world wants to put you down.
By: Louisa Moore
Screen Zealots 