Rudderless, 2014.
Directed by William H. Macy.
Starring Billy Crudup, Miles Heizer, Anton Yelchin, Felicity Huffman, Laurence Fishburne, William H. Macy, Jamie Chung, Ben Kweller, Kate Micucci, Selena Gomez and Peter Spruyt.
SYNOPSIS
The death of his son causes the life of an ad company executive to fall apart until he meets a young aspiring musician who helps him to reconnect with the world again.
A university student is composing a song in his dorm room while simultaneously the father of the boy secures a major advertising contract. In a mood to celebrate the ad executive calls his son to skip his classes and to meet him at a bar; however, the meeting never takes place as the television set in the drinking establishment shows a news story about a fatal campus shooting.
Mourning the death of his son, hounded by the media, and seeking solace in alcohol, the distraught parent disappears into a small town where he paints houses; the reappearance of his ex-wife with some of the belongings of their deceased child results in him discovering all of the songs which his musically gifted offspring had been composing. When he plays one of the tunes at a local talent show, the former corporate star captures the attention of an aspiring musician and the two of them establish a band together.
With the release of Rudderless, William H. Macy (Fargo) returns to the director’s chair 16 years after stepping behind the camera to produce the TV movie Lip Service; the time gap has served to enhance his directorial talents as he skilfully combines music and imagery for seamless scene transitions and indicating the passage of time. Also a successful balancing act is maintained with the drama and comedy which is no easy feat to accomplish. Macy does make an appearance as the tavern owner but he allows his actors to take centre stage with some mixed results.
Much has been made of Selena Gomez (Behaving Badly) being a member of the cast which is a shame as she comes across as a pouty teenager. Other weak performances include Kate Micucci (When in Rome) and Peter Spruyt (Down with Love) who are meant to be comedic but are instead one-note caricatures. However, the on-screen chemistry between Billy Crudup (Almost Famous) and Anton Yelchin (Star Trek Into Darkness) who respectively play the grieving father and the wannabe rock star is worth the price of admission. Yelchin, who is nearly unrecognizable under a head of curls, is able to be socially awkward and charming at the same time. As for Crudup, he is an acting chameleon who immerses himself in his role once again.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★/ Movie: ★ ★ ★
Rudderless is in Theatres, Video On Demand and Digital HD, on October 17, 2014.
Originally published October 15, 2014. Updated April 13, 2018.
