Catherine Keener in Little Pink House (Korchula Productions/Brightlight Pictures)

For those unfamiliar with the infamous Supreme Court case Kelo v. New London, involving a working-class town’s relentless legal battle against the state government’s use of eminent domain, Little Pink House will serve as a sweet and inspiring summary of the events. Anchored by a powerfully subdued Catherine Keener and filmed with attention paid toward the town’s beautiful but faded waterfront locale, the film succeeds in bringing to light a landmark case that still leaves unresolved residue to this day.

Set in the economically depressed but spiritually upright town of New London, Connecticut, the story focuses around the intrepid Susette Kelo, played by Keener, a local paramedic who reluctantly becomes the town’s face and leader in the struggle against Pfizer, the corporate villain that influences the state to utilize eminent domain to clear land for its new factory with promises of “bringing in new jobs.” Kelo is not alone in her struggle. She is joined by other local residents—an unkempt rebellious owner of a failing corner store, an elderly couple who’ve sworn to live and die in the home where they have raised their children, and a hardy furniture salesman who becomes Kelo’s sidekick and lover.

But for a film that’s so much about the autonomy of the community, writer and director Courtney Balaker doesn’t really put much effort into exploring the actual character of the community and its residents. There are snippets and snapshots, rendered in cinéma verité–like style, where Kelo goes around town talking to various residents and trying to get them to join in on the fight, and this particular sequence is pretty touching, but it’s fleeting. The film’s primary focus is on Kelo, which is understandable given the centrality of the real Kelo in the events, but it would’ve been more eye-opening to see the story play out on a more ensemble level. For instance, what would Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing be if it were just about Mookie?

The real-life story of New London’s relentless fight for its collective rights against state and corporate power is a story about retaining community. The notion of property rights is rendered important precisely because it is the string that holds the town together. It is not just physical homes that are threatened as much as it is memories, collectivity, belonging, camaraderie, and a way of life. Hence, the human element of Little Pink House could’ve been heightened if more attention was paid to the backstories of the other residents and what made this particular town more than just a place with a beautiful (and cheap) waterfront view.

Nevertheless, events move pretty quickly, exemplifying the horrifying speed at which state power can escalate from “offering” homeowners a price to move out to literally bulldozing an entire house down, even when its residents are still seated on the front porch. With this film, Balaker reminds us of a little-known fact in U.S. law: that the government can technically seize any property under the guise of “public use.”