MADISON, Wis. -- "Feed the Fish" is basically a romantic comedy, but it doesn't really seem like one.

Far from a typical "chick flick," the film spends much of its time in Wisconsin-male friendly territory -- there's ice fishing, snowmobiling, shooting practice and Polar Bear Plunges. The female love interest even plays in an ice hockey league. And there's a badger attack.

The romantic sub-plot is just one part of the film's affectionate portrayal of small-town Wisconsin life. It touchingly explores the nature of family relationships and pursuing one's dreams alongside the ideal training regimen to prepare for jumping into freezing lake water.

As the film starts, children's book author Joe Peterson (Ross Partridge, "Baghead") is being interviewed by a TV news crew about the success of his book, "Mr. Kitty Feeds The Fish." The "tough-love" children's book features a cat that, in an ironic reversal, gets eaten by the Piranha-like fish in the fish bowl.

"It seems parents are drawn to the moral lesson, that if you don't listen to your parents, bad things will happen. And the kids really respond to the violence," Joe tells the TV reporter, setting the comic tone for much of the film.

The film then skips ahead two years later, where Joe, living in Venice, Calif., is struggling to get the motivation to write the follow-up book. His high-strung girlfriend (Vanessa Branch, "Pirates of the Caribbean") is getting on his case about his loss of ambition, and a mid-life crisis is looming.

To shake Joe out of his rut, his free-spirited friend JP (Michael Chernus, "Mercy") convinces Joe to travel with him from California to Sturgeon Bay, Wis., so JP can follow in his family's tradition of competing in the Christmas Day Polar Bear Plunge in Lake Michigan, and Joe can focus on his writing without distractions.

Director Michael Matzdorff, who also wrote the film, shot the movie on location in Door County, and the film offers some beautiful shots of the area in winter. More than a mere backdrop, the picturesque setting is an integral part to the film.

As Joe adjusts to the cold of winter in Door County, he also gets sized up by the offbeat sheriff, played by Green Bay native Tony Shaloub ("Monk"), who is wary of outsiders like Joe.

Joe befriends one of his new neighbors, Axel, (Barry Corbin, "Northern Exposure") who takes him ice fishing and shows him around. There are some comedic fish-out-of-water moments, including a particularly funny scene in which the sheriff has to explain deer hunting over the phone to the confused California transplant who's frightened by the sudden arrival of a group of people with guns.

Joe catches the eye of Sif (Katie Aselton, "The Puffy Chair"), who works at the local diner and happens to be Axel's granddaughter. She also happens to be the sheriff's daughter, and the sheriff isn't too pleased with his daughter spending time with the city-slicker newcomer.

But Joe's arrival and budding relationship with Sif serves as an unexpected catalyst for the family to finally deal with issues that have lingered below the surface.

Shaloub, who is also one of the film's producers, gives a memorable performance as the sheriff, who has a penchant for shooting his gun at weathervanes and is fiercely overprotective of his daughter. Shaloub strikes a perfect balance between crankiness and vulnerability, and he's compelling as a well-meaning father struggling to accept that his daughter needs space to live her own life.

In addition to the colorful characters, the film has a varied mix of comedy that sometimes boarders on the silly. JP is apparently planning on putting himself through "training" to prepare for the icy waters of the Polar Bear Plunge. Sif, recognizing the absurdity, calls him on it. "Really? Most people here just kind of pull out a bottle of schnapps and hit the water," she says. That sounds about right.

Late in the film, there are a few plot points involving Joe's former girlfriend that stuck me as a bit of a stretch, but the film is ultimately able to pull it off because it stays true to the playfully quirky mood of the film.

The filmmakers have fittingly labeled "Feed the Fish" the "feel-good film of the winter." With spring finally arriving here in Wisconsin, that might not sound like an especially good selling point at the moment. But moviegoers looking to enjoy a fun movie at the Wisconsin Film Festival likely won't be left cold by this charming independent film.

The world premiere of "Feed the Fish" was held Friday, April 16, at the Chazen Museum of Art as part of the 2010 Wisconsin Film Festival.

The film is also playing for a one-week engagement beginning on April 23 at the Point Cinema located at 7825 Big Sky Drive in Madison. For more information, visit the film's website.

Get more information at the Wisconsin Film Festival's Web site.