Greetings again from the darkness. The distance between desperation and hopelessness can sometimes be very narrow, although desperate folks can make for interesting story characters thanks in part to the unexpected actions one can take when not thinking clearly. In his first feature film, writer-director Simon Hacker tackles a desperate man, only he kicks things up a notch by including a surprise visitor.
Andy Singer (Michael Zegen, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) is our desperate man. His landlord is promising to evict him if he doesn't pay four months of back rent by the end of the day. Andy is sweating from both the sweltering city heat as well as the pressure to close a deal and pay his rent. Just when he is frazzled to the hilt, his ten-year-old daughter Anna (Kasey Bella Suarez) pops in unexpectedly. Living full time with her mother (Andy's ex-wife), Anna craves time with her dad before she relocates from NYC to Florida with her mom ... not recognizing her bad timing.
Andy loves his daughter, yet has no clue on how to be a father to the exceptionally bright youngster. On top of that, he has no time to devote to her today as his life is falling apart. Andy was once an actor, and gets recognized periodically for a toothpaste advertisement he did. However, these days he's scrambling as a leasing agent in the city, while also scamming a few bucks on the side with a shady appliance reseller. In other words, Andy is a hustler with no game.
Anna tags along all day, and Andy even tries to use her to his advantage a couple of times. She so wants a normal family that she'll do anything to help dad. The two of them work in a stop to see Andy's dad (Robert Klein), and it's a reminder that things are tough (and hot) all over. The day works out about how you'd expect for a guy like Andy (it's not a Lifetime Channel movie), and by day's end, he wonders if he deserves the love Anna shows him ... or is he simply the sweaty guy in a coffee-stained dress shirt trying to make ends meet.
On a side note, for any sports fans out there, retired NBA player Gordon Hayward is a Producer on the film (it's his first film credit)
In theaters on September 27, 2024.
