Carving a Life is a 2017 American romance drama film directed by Terry Ross and written by Lisa Bruhn. The film stars Tyler Bruhn and Karenssa LeGear.
Mitch (Tyler Bruhn), a woodworker struggling with alcoholism after the death of his mother, begins a relationship with Lauren (Karenssa LeGear), a local elementary schoolteacher. His past trauma and difficult relationship with his father strains his romantic relationship with Lauren.
It was the debut film of director Terry Ross. Principal photography took place in North County of San Diego, Anaheim and Julian, California.
The film was presented at the American Film Market. The film had a screening in San Diego, a limited theatrical release in Los Angeles and was distributed by Indie Rights.
The film received mixed to negative reviews from critics. Katie Walsh at Los Angeles Times described it as well-intentioned but amateurish, calling it "the kind of DIY indie film that tries very, very hard but completely misses the mark." Adam Keller at Film Threat scored it 1 out of 5 stating it was "stream-of-consciousness mush." Chris Olson at UK Film Review scored it 4 stars calling it "genuinely moving [...] tender and engaging." Occhi Magazine rated the film 3 stars and said it would've been better with an "expanded plot and more focus on the characters."