Paddleton

Director: Alex Lehmann
Screenwriters: Mark Duplass, Alex Lehmann

Institute History

  • 2019 Sundance Film Festival

Description

An unlikely bromance between two misfit neighbors becomes an unexpectedly emotional journey when one of them is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Suddenly facing their mortality, the two bros (who spend their free time playing a game they made up called Paddleton) decide to go on a trip. Yet their literal journey turns into a metaphorical one as their experiences reveal the true bond of friendship—and what that means between two men who use humor to avoid expressing any real emotion.

Director Alex Lehmann puts together a playful, inspiring story, using two famed funnymen to make you laugh while touching your heart with the question: what does love look like in action? Ray Romano is captivating as an eternal pessimist fighting to find moments of hope for his ill friend. Mark Duplass is heartbreaking as a man resigned to his fate yet wanting to enjoy every moment he has left. The emotional depth that Lehmann unearths in his clever take on the road-trip genre is a testament to the power of this film and the friendship at its core.

Closed Captioned (CC) features available for this film.


— O.M.

Screening Details

Credits

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