St. Louis native Matt Amato debuted his feature film this year at the St. Louis International Film Festival. Set alongside the Mississippi River, “The Makings of You” follows the blooming romance between Judy and Wallis.

Through their own self-discovery, the pair begins to understand the reality of what it means to be in love. The story begins with two strangers; both unhappy with where their lives have taken them. “Mad Men”’s Jay R. Ferguson plays the affable Wallis, who works at a junk store previously owned by his father. His bedroom walls are plastered with maps of all the places he wants to journey to, but never has the chance. Ferguson does an excellent job of bringing to life the often-present reality of wanting to start a new life, but not having the means to do so.

Sheryl Lee, of “Twin Peaks” , plays Judy, a school cook who never reached her dream of being a teacher. Judy is anchored to her home that she shares with her sharp, emotionally-bitter mother (Grace Zabriskie) and her two sons. Lee captures Judy’s poise and demure character through simple moments of walking down the street and standing in the rain.

One day, Judy wanders into Wallis’s shop, and catches his eye. From then on, Wallis, entranced by Judy’s subtle beauty and mystery, becomes a strong presence in her life.
Ferguson and Lee make an enchanting and non-conventional pair that feels real, unlike most cheesy romances in big-budget Hollywood films.

“The Makings of You” highlights the often-unnoticed beauty of Old North St. Louis. The memorable scenes are the delicate close-ups of the river flowing, swings swaying in the wind, and birds flapping their wings through the pinkish sunset. Amato’s eye for detail accompanies the tone of the story in a perfect way.

At times, the film feels a bit slow, but overall captures the spirit of a gentle romance. “The Makings of You” is a solid full-length film debut for Amato, and shows his abundant potential for creating more projects for the silver screen.