Sundance review: 'Take Me Home' is a moving story of two sisters, one with a disability — played tenderly by the director's sister, who has the same disability

Narrative films seldom get as personal as what writer-director Liz Sargent does in “Take Me Home,” which depicts the delicate bond between two sisters, one of them with a cognitive disability — and that sister is played by the director’s sister, Anna Sargent.

Anna, a Korean adoptee who’s 38 years old, lives in Florida with her parents, Bob (Victor Slezak) and Joan (Marceline Hugot), who help take care of her. Anna’s sister, Emily (Ali Ann), was also adopted by Bob and Joan, and lives in Brooklyn — and gets annoyed when Anna calls her while she’s at work. On one hot day, though, Anna calls Emily in a panic, because Mom isn’t moving.

Joan’s death upends the order of Anna’s life. Joan wasn’t just taking care of Anna, but also Bob, who’s showing signs of dementia. Emily comes down from Brooklyn and tries to help Anna figure out a new living situation — but learns that space at an assisted living center is expensive, hard to find, and won’t wait for Anna’s Medicaid account to kick in. There’s also the fact that Anna isn’t a child, and wants to have some agency in what happens in her life going forward.

Liz Sargent handles this material better than any filmmaker I can recall. This isn’t some “Rain Man” situation, where a non-disabled actor is playing someone with a cognitive disability and we’re all supposed to marvel at their acting skill. Because Anna Sargent is playing a character who is dealing with the same challenges as she is in the real world, she provides a level of understanding that invites us to understand as well. 

“Take Me Home” works with no emotional gimmicks, no false pity, no condescension. Just a real person showing us, through this artifice of a movie drama, how real their life can get.

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‘Take Me Home’

★★★1/2

Screening in the U.S. Dramatic competition of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. Not rated, but probably PG-13 for thematic material and some language. Running time: 91 minutes.

The film screens again: Tuesday, Jan. 27, 1:10 p.m., Redstone Cinemas 2, Park City; Wednesday, Jan. 28, 6:30 p.m., Broadway Centre Cinemas 6, Salt Lake City; Friday, Jan. 30, 4:40 p.m., Redstone Cinemas 2, Park City; Sunday, Feb. 1, 9:30 a.m., Holiday Village Cinemas 1, Park City. Also screening on Sundance’s web portal, Thursday through Sunday, Jan. 29 to Feb. 1.