Movie Review - Rudderless

I was pretty excited when I saw this facebook post a couple of weeks ago (@TivoliKC):

"Also! Rudderless opens this weekend! It's the directorial debut of William H. Macy and stars Billy Crudup and Anton Yelchin. 

Not only are we the only theater in KC that you can see this film for it's debut week, but ALSO* screenwriter and former Kansas Citian CASEY TWENTER will be here in person to introduce the 7:00pm screenings on Friday, October 24 and Saturday, October 25.
Casey will also offer an audience Q&A following.  Get your tickets now!!"

...and here is why;

1. I LOVE interacting with filmmakers, screenwriters, actors.  It brings me immense joy. 
2. I have been a big Billy Crudup fan since #AlmostFamous - which still ranks in my top ten favorite movies of all time.
3. I love Westport on a Friday night.

"A grieving father in a downward spiral stumbles across a box of his recently deceased son's demo tapes and lyrics. Shocked by the discovery of this unknown talent, he forms a band in the hope of finding some catharsis." - IMDB  Rated R

I hadn't heard  of @Rudderlessmovie until I saw that post, so  I went straight to IMDB to bring myself up to speed, googled Casey Twenter and sat my plan in motion to convince Jay Erdman this is what we should be doing (please note:  The Royals were in the playoffs).  Surprisingly, he went for it.

Directed and co-written by William H. Macy, “Rudderless”, stars Billy Crudup as Sam, a successful ad man whose world is shattered by the tragic death of his son. His death causes Sam to lose his job, become an alcoholic, and spending his days painting houses and hiding from the pain.

For reasons no one can understand, Sam wants nothing to do with the the memory of his son.  Faced with boxes of his son's belongings, he eventually takes out the guitar and teaches himself to play, which leads to an open-mic performance at a local pub, where he meets an awkward teen named Quentin (Anton Yelchin).

It's hard to say who befriends who, but it is obvious these two misfits need one another.  Together with a few other musicians they form an indie-leaning rock band that I would gladly pay to see in real life.  (Great Soundtrack!)

The twist halfway through “Rudderless” will take your breath away. It’s a ballsy move, and it makes you rethink  everything & beg for a rewind.   It answers the questions I think all parents have asked themselves while watching news reports of school shootings.  What would we do if?  How would we survive?  Would we survive?

It is a brilliant film - I loved every minute of it.   It happens to be available on Amazon already - if you are looking for something to do this weekend - just do it.