Apart from a too-neat finale, director Brett Haley (Hearts Beat Loud) comes close to nailing a story that's rarely told (let alone told well) in such feel-good fare.

"All Together Now" crescendos so subtly and so beautifully it's overwhelming, infused with the love and power of collective care. Basking in the sheer goodness of a group coming together to lift up the most vulnerable among them is a balm to the soul.

Haley, scripting with Quick himself, is so eager to drown his film in sugar that the grimness quickly becomes soapy instead and any emotional response we might have fizzles with similar speed.

Cravalho shines (as always) but the colour blind/diverse casting of her friends means nothing when they're shallow, 1-dimensional characters. The film's emotionally manipulative narrative disguises an uncomfortable message about the "deserving poor"