I LOVE MY DAD

US, 2022, 96 minutes, Colour.

Patton Oswalt, James Morosini, Claudia Sulewi, Lil Rel Howery, Rachel Dratch, Amy Landecker.

Directed by James Morosini.

I Love My Dad has been billed as a comedy. But it is a very black comedy, wry, making its audience uncomfortable.

Comedian Patton Oswalt is very effective as the father who has made excuses not to be a at events of his son’s growing up, is worried about his son now an adult, tries to reach out but fails, the son resenting him. He creates the situation of an online friendship, his pretending to be a young woman whom he has seen at a diner, sending her photo, phrasing his own outreach to his son through this waitress character.

The son has mental and emotional problems, resenting his father, lives with his mother, goes to group therapy. But he responds very well to the outreach from Becca, the waitress, the film showing his response, and using the device of having the waitress present in communications with the son, dancing in the street, conversations and advice, sexual encounter.

The father uses his sexual experience with his boss and getting her to phone the son. Later, she realises what she has done, reaches out to the mother who is very angry.

When the father decides to drive his son to meet the waitress, there is a dramatic episode in the diner and the eventual revelation of the truth.

However, there is some forgiveness at the end – and the son himself using the device to get his father to come to live near him and his mother.

The film was written and directed by James Morosini who says that the interaction between father and son is based on his own experience.

1. Based on the experience of the writer-director? Serious, comic?
2. The emotional response of the audience, uncomfortable, identification with father, with son, with mother, with the boss, with Becca the waitress? Mixed emotions?
3. The situation, as explained by the father, the bond with his son, all the excuses for not attending special events, the response of his son? The adult relationship? The father excusing himself, wanting to make amends?
4. The situation of the son, mental health, self-destructive, relationship with his mother? Going to meetings, his glum contribution? His skills in design? Prospects? As a personality, audience identification with him, or not?
5. The father and his plan, discussions with his friend, the reactions of his friend? Warnings? The father and the diner, seeing Becca? The picture? Setting up the situation on the Internet, contacting his son, the son’s response, the continued correspondence, the father and his outreach? Good sense, common sense, mistakes? His relationship with his boss, persuading her to participate? His own sexual experiences, into the texting?
6. The son and his response, enthusing, the correspondence, the device of having Becca present, dancing in the street, the sexual encounter, the conversations, friendship? His complete involvement? His mother’s reaction?
7. The father, the complications of the situation, his son wanting to meet Becca, the father driving all the way? The discussions, the devices of the continuing texting, the effect on the son, the father and his dilemmas, at the motel, in the car?
8. The boss, her contacting the mother, the mother and her anger, her threats to the father?
9. The episode in the diner, the real Becca, the son and his advances and behaviour, the father in the kitchen, keeping the busboy away, the eventual explosion? The father and his confession? The son’s reaction?
10. The son, still loving his father, despite the situation? His job and the references from Becca? And his sending his father the letter about the vacant apartment opposite the house, the father’s rival, the mother’s reaction, the realisation of what it happened?