Sundays with Dad | Average Guy Movie Review

Since his mother passed away, Jason (Timothy J. Cox) has been spending his Sundays visiting with his father, Ben (George R. Hildebrand). But this Sunday is different, because Ben has something he wants to discuss with Jason. Something sensitive. Understandably, after 40+ years of marriage Ben is struggling with being alone. There is a hole in his life that he is struggling to fill. And in this search for companionship he has started seeing a prostitute, only without the sex part.

On the face of it Sundays with Dad sounds almost ridiculous. A rare and potentially extreme scenario. In reality, however, this couldn't be further from the truth. Approaching the perils of growing old with compassion and respect, this charming short film has a surprisingly relatable feel. After all, loneliness is something we all face. Ben's love of The Rockford Files also helps. You might even begin to wonder how often this type of scenario plays out in the real world - The Rockford Files included - and how it would feel if one of our own relatives decided to make this sort of a leap.

Cox's script leaps from the page to the screen in a way that says almost as much about him as the issue he's addressing. This is thanks, in no small part, to the chemistry he shares with his onscreen father. To say they are incredible together would be an understatement. So much so that you would be forgiven for thinking Hildebrand and Cox are the genuine article. This is the kind of relationship many of us would hope for, both as a parent and a child. The pair even nail the cringe-factor of a son listening to his father talk about erectile disfunction (not for the reason you'd think) and other equally uncomfortable topics. Although for us it is especially fun watching Ben revel in making his son squirm. 

As for the all important conversation at the heart of this story, well in many ways it plays out pretty much as you'd expect. An emotional affair, to be sure. But one that - rather importantly - doesn't cast aspersions on those working as prostitutes. There's a lot of surprise, anxiety and even confusion. All of which we see from both sides. Instead of putting us in the middle of the conversation, director Thomas Angeletti and cinematographer Jake Reynolds frame the whole thing in such a way that gives us that 'fly on the wall' view. Maintaining the intimacy between the two characters, and the authenticity of what they're going through. Meaning that watching Ben pour his heart out, while Jason tries to take it all in, is truly stirring. Ultimately however, Sundays with Dad asks its audience; 'Would you be so understanding?' Which has me wondering... 'How many of us would be?'

By putting us in the shoes of both father and son, this charming, surprisingly heart-warming short film confronts the realities of growing old with genuine compassion and a brutal honesty. The performances are fantastic, making this curious scenario - as well as the father/son relationship in the middle of it - feel all the more real. If Sundays with Dad doesn't bring a tear to your eye, it will come very close. 

9/10

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