Gloria Bell is first and foremost a character study that may be too subtle and methodical for a viewer who is not in the mood for a slower paced romantic drama. The story this movie tells is similar to plots I have created in a few of the novels I have written. I think of them as "slice of life" tales. The story is taken up at a certain point and we follow along with her life with ups and downs until the script jumps out of her life. This is a subtle way of telling a story, perhaps too subtle if you are watching with friends or not in the mood for it. It is like that line from The Big Chill ...