Closer to Home on AllMovie

Dean (John Michael Bolger) is tired of wandering around the world as a merchant marine, and is trying to settle down in his hometown of New York City. He is just barely able to keep body and soul together as a part-time taxi driver, and will be out on the streets if his sister succeeds in selling his parent's old apartment to their cousin. Nonetheless, he has a yen to marry a nice Asian girl, and contracts with a mail-order-bride service to marry Dalisay (Madeline Ortaliz), a young Filipina. She has entered into this arrangement because she wants to earn money for her impoverished family and for her sister to have a needed operation. It is not until they are married that Dalisay discovers that Dean, otherwise a decent enough husband, doesn't want her to work. This would not be a problem, except that Dean is unable to keep a job. Their efforts to cope with one another's needs and expectations form the backbone of this independent film production.