Dad & Step-Dad
Comedy, 22-Dec-2023
Jim and Dave, a dad and a step-dad, have trouble bonding with their son during a 3-day weekend upstate. Tynan DeLong directs “Dad & Step-Dad,” a rolling deadpan comedy feature that’s lighthearted and strangely moving about the odd relationship between two dads and one son. Arriving at a peaceful country home next to a babbling brook, Jim and his 13-year-old son, Branson, look to unwind. Also at the cabin is Branson’s step-dad, Dave; as Branson runs off to entertain himself, Jim and Dave are left to chit-chat about a litany of mundane subjects — air mattresses, cigars, grilling hotdogs, guitars, highway travel vs. country roads. Every time a new topic is discussed, a trivial disagreement emerges. As the weekend wears on, Dave receives an unsettling phone call, the dads discover a troubling drawing, and Branson’s mother shows up, creating a whirlwind of reactions. It’s a slow-burn extravaganza of priceless improvisations from a brilliant cast at the top of their game, built in a simple, satisfying form with a self-assured tone. -KA. Director: Tynan DeLong. Cast: Colin Burgess, Brian Fiddyment, Clare O'Kane, Anthony Oberbeck. Producers: Graham Mason & Sarah Wilson. Director of Photography: Johnny Frohman. Composer: Celia Hollander. Costume Designer: Nell Simon. Editor: Tynan DeLong. Sound Mixer: Ryan McGlade. Camera 2nd Unit: Alex Bliss. 1st AC: Mariah Oxley. Sound Design: Matt Giordano.