It's hard to believe it's been almost a year since my father's death. I didn't see him nearly enough, though in his final weeks I found myself a regular at his lakeside home as I listened to his stories, talked about the past, and ached as he recounted the grief he felt for the wife who'd preceded him in death by four years.
I thought of my parents often while watching Sundays With Dad, yet another in a long line of short films from writer and co-star Timothy J. Cox. The film is directed by Thomas Angeletti, whose approach here seems to say "Let's make this feel as natural as humanly possible."
It does. Oh, it does.
George R. Hildebrand is Ben, a widower and the father of Jason (Cox). Ben is an instantly likable fellow, a lover of fine music and one who appreciates the time on his humble porch and the weekly visits he gets from Jason. The two not only bear a striking physical resemblance, their chemistry makes you absolutely believe in their relationship.
It says an awful lot about Cox as a human being, a writer, and an actor that he has gifted such a lovely part to Hildebrand. Hildebrand is absolutely sublime here, so fine that I found myself rushing over to IMDB to check out his credits. The conversation here carries an aura of melancholy, a wistfulness radiating from this older yet vibrant man who clearly misses the everyday aspects of life with his late wife Maggie. In time, the conversation takes a bit of an unexpected turn that is handled beautifully as Ben reveals he's begun seeking out companionship.
And he means companionship.
Jason is understandably concerned, though patient and never less than respectful. The conversation remains as father-and-son, Ben's clear insights and well-reasoned explanation hard to argue with and easy to understand.
What really sells Sundays With Dad is, quite simply, this two-person ensemble and their easygoing yet vulnerable and honest dialogue. It's also Cox's ability to listen, really listen, as Jason adding depth that feels remarkable over the course of a 22-minute short film.
I thought a lot about my own parents here. I thought a lot about the conversations we had and the conversations I wished we'd had. I thought of the things I understood about my father's grief, but I mostly thought about the things I truly didn't get until it was too late.
Jake Reynolds lenses the film with a tremendous naturalism, observing these two familial beings and wisely avoiding any laughs or false histrionics through the lens. Instead, we get a genuinely beautiful film telling a genuinely beautiful story.
Sundays With Dad is a quietly beautiful film, a film with a lot to say but also a film willing to whisper. These characters are quite extraordinary, brought wonderously to life by Angeletti's relational direction and the nicely paced, honest chemistry between these two actors.
If you get a chance to check out Sundays With Dad, I recommend you do so.
Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic
