“Sundays with Dad” is the second father/son exploration short I’ve watched in the last six months. The first was “Peabrain,” by the talented Steve Blackwood. That film was powerful, albeit melancholy. It was the story of a son looking back at his father with regret, imagining a more supportive role model than the one he’d been dealt. However, in “Sundays with Dad”—written by actor Timothy Cox—the tone is more hopeful. Cox has here written (and co-starred) in a film that executes like a beautiful dance. It’s some of the best dialogue I’ve heard in an indie film in some time, and features a performance by George R. Hildebrand that sells the film to us with depth, humor, and affection.
Like the best indies are, the film—directed by Thomas Angeletti—defies plot to become about something more. It’s about a father and son. The son, Jason (Cox) visits his dad every Sunday to have lunch (a healthy sandwich, to his father’s chagrin). His father, Ben (Hildebrand) awaits him, listening to “Claire de Lune” by Claude Debussy, which he describes as “an experience” that is “haunting, yet hopeful.” These aren’t his words, thought, but his late wife’s. Ben remembers her fondly, and though he enjoys his weekends with his son, misses her company, her love, and the 49 years they spent together.
A Slice of Life
Like the feature indie film “Evergreen” I covered years ago, “Sundays with Dad” is about conversations, not plot. Hildebrand is skilled at dialogue; it’s been a while since I’ve seen another actor like him. He won ‘Best Ensemble Acting’ at The 48 Hour Film Project, in Columbus, Ohio, and has already won ‘Best Actor’ for his role here at the Rohip International Film Festival. However Hildebrand is not delivering dialogue in an operatic sense—like for instance the monologues in “Glengarry Glen Ross”—but in a human one. When he looks at Cox, he becomes Ben. He feels like Jason’s father imparting his soul and experience unto his son, never once an actor delivering lines.
Timothy Cox is funny and endearing as Jason, a support and muse to his father who needs an ear to listen. There is a twist to this film, that Ben has hired a prostitute for companionship to fill the void left by his late wife. But to focus on this is to do the film a disservice. My first thoughts were of “Pretty Woman,” of course, or even “Leaving Las Vegas.” But nothing that romantic of that despairing is on display here. In fact the prostitute, named Heather, is never on-screen. It’s not a plot point, but a vehicle for father and son to have an endearing heart-to-heart. The way Ben describes Heather to his son is beautiful and loving. I’ve never seen an off-screen character actually built before, and you really feel like you know Heather without ever once seeing her.
Cox and Hildebrand are Excellent
The short—at 22 minutes—culminates with an impassioned speech by Ben about his late wife, what she meant to him, and the hole that is now present in his life by her absence. Hildebrand owns the scene, but I can’t help but tip my hat with deference to Cox, who, as the film’s sole writer, knocks it out of the park. The passion and depth with which he writes his on-screen father made me wonder if there was personal inspiration for this role. Was he penning from a memory of his own father? Or just drawing from within himself? I’ve seen many shorts featuring Cox, but to my knowledge this was the first one I’ve seen with him the sole writer. It occurred to me he’s very good at it, and I hope this is a trend we can see continue in the future.
All-in-all, “Sundays with Dad” is excellent. It’s shot simply, Cinematographer Jake Reynolds capturing a sunny suburban backyard with ease and familiarity. It’s full of the simple things, too. The set looks lived in, with worn, plastic plates and refrigerators full of magnets, photos, and memories. It captures a conversation between father and son full of empathy and understanding, something wholly needed in today’s often cynical day and age. Cox and Hildebrand are great together, and the film doesn’t really end, but trails off. I like to imagine Ben and Jason’s Sunday visits will continue on, stretching into the future like a comfortable routine. Maybe on a future visit Jason will even get to meet Heather, “Claire de Lune” playing in the background, wrapped sandwiches available for all, with new memories waiting to be made.
*”Sundays with Dad” is currently in the festival circuit. Follow us for release information. You can watch the film’s trailer in the window below.
