Carrie Brownstein stars in "Some Days Are Better Than Others"

Over the years, I had grown quite fond of seeing Carrie Brownstein rock out at Sleater-Kinney shows. Since then, however, whether she is showing off her stellar writing skills on her blog for NPR or being hilarious with SNL’s Fred Armisen as ThunderAnt, Brownstein has shown serious artistic versatility.

Perhaps, then, I should not be surprised to see her playing the part of a broken-hearted animal shelter worker in the upcoming independent film, Some Days Area Better Than Others.

Last week, Portland-based filmmaker Matt McCormick released the trailer for Some Days Area Better Than Others, which tackles some seriously heavy stuff. The synopsis reads:

Some Days are Better Than Others is about the nuances of communication, the desperation of heartbreak, and the struggle to maintain hope through the passing of time.

The film follows an “interweaving web of awkward characters,” each struggling to be fulfilled in their lives. Brownstein plays Katrina, a “reality TV enthusiast” who recently had her heart broken. The first scene in the trailer shows Katrina asking someone, “Have you ever had your heart broken? How long does it last? How long does it take to get better?” Heavy stuff, indeed.

The trailer itself illustrates that the film will not likely be lauded the “feel good favorite” of the year, but happy films are overrated, right? Check out the trailer here:

Neil Kopp, who also produced the heartbreaking film Wendy and Lucy, starring Michelle Williams, is also working on the project, which is McCormick’s feature-length debut.

Brownstein isn’t the only musician-turned-actor in the film. James Mercer, front man for The Shins, plays Eli, a 30-something musician whose career and band are at a standstill and has a hard time landing a job. McCormick worked on music videos for both Sleater-Kinney and The Shins in the past.

"I think one of the reasons I haven't been doing music is because I think that some of my performance needs are being taken care of in other mediums,” Brownstein told Pitchfork about working on the film in 2008. “I mean, a lot of music for me was about — I mean aside from the fun and challenge of writing and being really good friends with my bandmates — getting to perform. It's not the same, doing a movie or doing ThunderAnt, but it definitely is akin to that kind of challenge. I get to sleep in my own bed at the end of the day. And my back doesn't hurt as much."

The pleasures of sleeping in your own bed should never be taken lightly.

The film also features fellow Sleater-Kinney alum Corin Tucker, queer Portland-based musician/filmmaker Aubree Bernier-Clarke and actress and director of MSNBC’s special on trans people, Born in the Wrong Body: Tying the Knot Erin McGarry.

A screening schedule for the film has not yet been released, but check back for updates here or on the film’s site . Oh, and if you haven’t watched any of the ThunderAnt videos yet, you are seriously missing out. Check out skits like "Feminist Bookstore" at thunderant.com.