Little Budget, Big Laughs in 'Dad & Step-Dad'
NoBudge.com has a classic on its hands.
Dear Moviegoers,
Having some heart is good for a filmmaker, but a funny bone comes in handy more often.
In Tynan DeLong’s hilarious feature Dad & Step-Dad, two men aggressively struggle to smile politely at each other through a family bonding trip. Accompanied by the young teenager Branson - played by the very adult Brian Fiddyment - Jim (the father and ex-husband) and Dave (new lover and potential step-dad) anti-bicker through cookouts and heart-to-hearts, attempting to one-up the other in their own eyes, though they feign that it’s all for Branson. Such actively passive-grudging and begrudging between adults tickles me fanciful and happy, no matter the scenario. We all age, but maturity is rarely achieved - a fact that Dad & Step-Dad understands and makes fun of constantly. Makes fun of it and uses it to a fine resonance in the end.
Director DeLong (along with a crew that includes Graham Mason, who made the equally great Inspector Ike) pulls off plenty of do-it-yourself tricks and treats here, mostly in setting and conversation. Never is the film boring, moving at a smooth pace that matches the speech and attitude patterns of its main stars, Colin Burgess (Jim) and Anthony Oberbeck (Dave). Often, the way the pair play off is in repetitive improvisational talk, where they’re saying the same things but with slightly different words and subtle to subtler tones. Once again, the grudging begrudging nature the “men” bring to this “vacation” isn’t just funny, but impressively constructed and crafted. Delong must’ve had a hell of a time coordinating and cutting Dad & Step-Dad.
In a home surrounded by a woody area, with a creek or two for mild fishing, the film takes place in a relaxing environment that’s perfect for uncomfortable comforting takes. Limited surroundings with limited resources, sometimes a detriment to a production, are more or less cutely blended into Dad & Step-Dad. It may be less about the design and more about the tools, as this piece of DIY (do it yourself) cinema is built upon the hard work of its small cast and crew. The smaller the better, the motion of the ocean, etc. The film may have a light amount of people around it, but Dad & Step-Dad is no featherweight.
It should also be said how this film represents itself as another absurdist emotional fare in the same way as something from the Cartoon Network programming block Adult Swim. The styles are completely similar, usually to a shocking degree. There’s linguistic dissonance from time to time, there’s odd casting and oddball characters, and there are unexpected but welcome moments of genuine if slightly off poignancy. The Greasy Strangler is a prime and extreme example of this connection, as are a plethora of TikTok meme-ic videos from overly creative new-wave non-filmmaker filmmakers. Whether they know it or not, and whether it’s noticed by the mainstream or not, we’re deep into a weirdcore time in independent cinema. And it’s brilliant.
Tickle me silly, Dad & Step-Dad is a late contender for favorite film of 2023, just barely sneaking in with its streaming debut on Kentucker Audley’s great service NoBudge. The funny bone is really reel, folks. And it’s not next to the druthers, but the heart. 5/5
Dad & Step-Dad is now streaming on NoBudge and is available for rent and purchase on Prime and Apple.
Sincerely Yours in Moviegoing,
⚜️🍿
P.S. -
If you enjoyed this review, please share and forward the link on social and to friends and family.
If you like my writing, consider becoming a subscriber.
If you really like my writing, consider leaving a tip or becoming a supporting subscriber.