For years, when movie lovers who are tired of the bombastic prequel/sequel studio mentality talk to me about wishing that there were better films to see, I tell them they aren’t going to the right movies. There are plenty of interesting and entertaining choices, most of them created by independent filmmakers. Many of them premiere at film festivals.
In anticipation of Father’s Day, two distributors have released motion pictures about dads and their sons, which are currently playing in theaters. Both “Ezra” and “Nowhere Special” deliver humor, heart, and a true sense of humankind working for the common good. The two features are described as “dramedies,” which, of course, combines an undercurrent of seriousness with some laughs.
“Ezra” had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023, and it comes crammed with some heavy hitters in its cast. The movie, directed by actor Tony Goldwyn and written by Tony Spiridakis, is about the relationship between a father and his 11-year-old autistic son. The story is based on the real-life experiences of Spiridakis and his own autistic son and the fragmenting of his marriage when the boy was a teenager.
In the film, the dad is Max, who is a professional comedian and is played superbly by Bobby Cannavale. Max’s son Ezra has committed some seriously disruptive behavior in school. Ezra is acted by William Fitzgerald, who is autistic and is making his film debut. This is groundbreaking casting. We know immediately that Max deeply loves and cares passionately about his son.
The story turns on the fact that authorities recommend that Ezra be transferred to a special education school, with a strict regimen of antipsychotic drugs being considered. This strikes at the very core of how Max sees Ezra. He believes it would be better for his son to be around a greater mix of students. He and his ex-wife Jenna (played by Rose Byrne) are divorced. She thinks Ezra will be better off in a more protective environment.
Max decides to take Ezra away from his home with Jenna. In effect, it’s a “kidnapping,” and they began an extended road trip that is primarily about giving the boy a sense of freedom, but it is also a desire on Max’s part to be with him one-on-one to help determine what Ezra is capable of handling. This is a high-risk adventure and problems arise on the road.
During the drive, Max hears from Jane his manager (acted by Whoopi Goldberg), who calls him to let him know that he’s been booked on Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show and needs to be in Los Angeles within a week. This creates more complications and takes Max and Ezra even further across the country. Jenna and Max’s father Stan are extremely concerned, and they go in pursuit of the duo. Stan is played by Robert De Niro, who has said that he took the part because there is an autistic child in his immediate family.
The movie has surprises that arise from the script honestly. The acting camaraderie is extraordinary. There’s not a false note from the remarkable cast. Young Fitzgerald is wonderful. De Niro’s well-grounded performance breathes believability. Director Goldwyn appears as Jenna’s current boyfriend. Vera Farmiga and Rainn Wilson are also on tap.
“Ezra” offers welcome insights into autism and delivers a story that keeps you guessing. The use of hand-held cinematography by Daniel Moder adds finely detailed nuances of reality. The film’s focus on parents who care encourages your attention. “Ezra” is a road trip worth taking.
“Nowhere Special” has been floating around the movie-sphere since it played the Venice Film Festival in 2020. It was released in Great Britain in 2021 and is only now getting shown in the United States. This goes to the heart of how poorly movies are distributed Yes, the system is broken, and it needs to be fixed, especially with so-called “little pictures,” which deserve the same chance to reach an audience as the major studio behemoths. Why? Because moviegoers have every right to see well-made “small” films that tell stories about ordinary people and the circumstances of their lives.
“Nowhere Special” is written and directed by Uberto Pasolini, an Italian-born filmmaker, who works in England and shares his surname with the acclaimed director Pier Paolo Pasolini. However, they are not related. Uberto is, in fact, a nephew of Italian cinema’s legendary neorealist master, Luchino Visconti. With “Nowhere Special,” 67-year-old writer-director Uberto Pasolini tells his intended story with delicate care and a glorious sense of maturity and feeling.
In the movie, a father prepares for the loss of his young son. The catch here is that Michael, the often brooding 4-year-old son, isn’t going anywhere. However, John the father, a loving single dad, who is a window cleaner, is dying of a fatal disease. The name of the unspecified illness is not important. What’s important is that Michael will not have his dad around. John is eager to make certain Michael is placed with the perfect adoptive parents. As time passes and suitable parents haven’t been found, the desperation starts to show in John’s demeanor. It’s almost as if he’s staying alive to be able to approve the adopting couple.
Filmed and set in Northern Ireland, the story is not about doctors and hospital visits, but rather the relationship between John, his little boy, and the workers at a child placement agency, where he will meet a variety of candidates from families big and small, as well as hopeful potential single parents and childless couples.
The connection between father and son is beautifully revealed, including with gentle humor. Pasolini’s screenplay is remarkable in how it shows us the trauma of what is going to occur without sinking his film in a pool of melancholy. One powerful moment lets us know that John isn’t inclined to create a “memory box” of their lives together for Michael. He says, “I don’t want him to understand death.”
“Nowhere Special” packs an emotional wallop. The acting from James Norton as John and Daniel Lamont as Michael is truly magnificent. Your heart will ache from what are often cruel circumstances that many people face on a daily basis. It doesn’t matter that it took years for the movie to arrive. What matters is that it’s here.