By Joe Puccio

First and foremost, the primary goal of a motion picture is to entertain the audience. But the ninety-minute to two-hour journey it takes to accomplish this is often managed in a variety of different ways. Some projects do it with unequivocal laughter. Others achieve it by capitalizing on pulsating adrenaline. And then there are the ones that fulfill their purpose via pure heart wrenching sadness. The Midway Point, Lucca Vieira’s poignant new romantic drama, checks all the above boxes with an important additional trait – education.

“I think everyone should see it to learn about not only those on the autism spectrum but about ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) or any neurological disorders, and how these conditions are navigated on their own,” articulated Catharine Daddario, who stars in the coming-of-age film, during a recent conversation with Generation X Wire. “It’s very comforting and a great tool. It’s nice to see someone finding their way through the muck.”

The movie, also featuring Thora Birch and Julie Benz and currently streaming on demand, tells the heartfelt tale of Jake, played brilliantly by Sean Ryan Fox, as a young man coping with autism and his complicated relationship with Alice (Daddario), a woman with obstacles of her own, as the pair struggle with adolescence, friendship, and being one another’s first love.

While focused writing and significant subject matter certainly are both integral to its fine quality, Daddario brings a beautiful sense of authenticity and sensitivity to her role, making The Midway Point required viewing for those seeking a feel-good cinematic experience. Her keen ability to portray such a rebellious character while simultaneously combining it with an air of vulnerability is paramount to the film’s appeal. “When I read the script for the first time, I loved it right away. Alice and Jake’s connection is so strong because they both have difficulties they’re dealing with. It really felt like they were discovering friendship and partnership and having almost a deeper level of fun for the very first time,” Daddario opined. “People have that throughout life but it’s really something special when it happens for the first time. And seeing how Jake helped her out of her troubled period and how he was inspired by her independence and how the whole world opened up to him from that was beautiful. They each started in one place, and they truly ended up in a completely different one.”

One quite clever aspect of the picture is the fact that the condition itself is never referenced by name despite being such a central theme for its purpose. “I think it was a conscious choice by Lucca to show that it isn’t just a movie about being on the autism spectrum because it is much more than that. Obviously, that’s a large part of it, but it’s also about high school and growing up. And even though it’s not actually said, it’s still there for people who relate to Sean’s character,” Daddario explained. “There are a lot of films where there’s this big monologue and something’s explicitly pointed out. That’s what’s beautiful about The Midway Point. If you are experiencing it, you don’t need it pointed out to you.”

Speaking of ideas mentioned as opposed to being implied, the movie’s title is a clear twofold reference; Jake’s current stage of his life as well as the transition to adulthood combined with finding oneself stuck in an emotional middle ground. Although Daddario didn’t have a formal conversation with Vieira about it, the stunning New York City-born actress appreciates its dual meaning. “The Midway Point is wherever you picked up these characters, it would always be the midway point,” she smiled. “That’s what life is. For them, it’s certainly that coming-of-age period, right before they go off on their own, away from home. It is the midway point between the end goal and where they’ve come from.”

Daddario, who can also be seen extensively in 2025’s final two seasons of Tubi’s critically acclaimed Second Chances, isn’t the only talented thespian in the family. Raised by a police chief father and an attorney mother, her sister Alexandra (The White Lotus, Mayfair Witches) and brother Matthew (Shadowhunters, Cabin Fever) caught the bug as well. In addition to acting, the versatile Stella Adler-trained artist –  who considered everything from museum curation to journalism to astrophysics(!) as possible vocation choices before performing – dabbles in production management when she’s not in front of the camera and is also studying stunt training in her free time. “That is such a blast. Even if, say, you work on a television show for a day and play a cop who has to kick the door down. God forbid they have to call in a stunt person just to do that one thing,” she laughed. “That actually requires a lot of training. So, it’s good to have that background. If I got the opportunity to do an action movie, I’d hate to miss out on it because I didn’t have the proper training. I think more knowledge always makes an experience better.”

If there’s one occupation in show business that Daddario doesn’t have much interest in pursuing, it’s directing. “It’s such a huge job. Being a director means you are the leader of every department, and you need to know precisely what you’re doing and if you don’t, you have to fake it,” she joked. “Other than when I’m acting, I’m not into faking things.”

As an accomplished working actress, it is hardly a surprise that Daddario left the East Coast for Los Angeles years ago. But would she ever consider returning to the ‘City That Never Sleeps?’ “Yes, yes, yes,” she enthused. “I love sunny California and all. But I know that I’ll eventually go back to New York. It’s always calling me.”

The Midway Point is currently available on demand.

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