An awkward misunderstanding sets The Ring Thing off on an ambitious exploration of the nature of relationships, and how the prospect of marriage can turn a loving relationship into a minefield. On the beach in Provincetown, Sarah produces a wedding ring that belonged to her divorced parents and shows it to her girlfriend Kristen. While Sarah thinks she’s simply exhibiting a family heirloom, Kristen thinks she’s proposing marriage.

Anchored by the palpable chemistry between its two stars, Sarah Wharton and Nicole Pursell, this smart, spirited drama jumps forward and back in time to artfully interweave fiction and documentary. Sarah, a nonfiction filmmaker, sets out to interview same-sex couples hoping to understand her own ambivalence about marriage. Anyone who’s ever been in a partnership is sure to identify with the knotty questions about commitment, career and marriage posed by this wise and sexy movie.