2014 | USA | R | 90 min.
It’s the Best Film of 2015 You Never Heard Of,
Exhibit A in the saga of overlooked brilliant
films by women. Director Maya Forbes’ funny,
heartwarming film stars Mark Ruffalo as Cam,
a charismatic, crazy mess of a husband and father
in 1970s Boston, barely able to take care of
himself as he battles bipolar disorder. So naturally,
everyone is quite concerned when his wife
(Zoë Saldana) leaves their two young daughters
in his sole care to attend grad school in New
York, hoping to improve her family’s chances
for survival. Alternately hilarious and terrifying,
depending on whether he’s taking his meds or
not, we watch Cam stumble through attempts
at solo parenting, bungling basic tasks and occasionally
plunging his family into chaos. But
Cam’s big heart and ardent adoration of his
girls shines through in moments of unbearable
tenderness. This movingly personal indie captures
the essence of life with all its inherent untidiness
and surprising joy. It’s a tour-de-force
no one should miss, and everyone will love.