Mikes Film Talk

Timothy J Cox’s 2024 feature Sundays with Dad is about, amongst other things, faded love. A retracting of familial connections and a surprising secret.

The Story

Jason, a jobbing actor, visits his widowed father Ben on Sundays. The two men have rituals and commitments to each other. Ben reveals that he has hired a sex worker to keep him company on a regular basis.

Jason reacts as expected.

Behind the scenes

Timothy J Cox writes and stars in Sundays with Dad with accomplished passion and ease. This short film runs just over 22 minutes and includes a wealth of information about this relationship.

George R. Hildebrand is widower Ben. A man of education and loneliness. His twilight years have left him wanting. Tired of relying on these weekly visits for company, he tries an alternative solution.

Director Thomas Angeletti proves once again that genre is not an issue. He also displays a casual acceptance of tight shots and almost claustrophobic settings.

William Stanley and Angeletti both edited Sundays with Dad and their labour makes this backyard comedy/drama look brilliant.

Cinematographer Jake Reynolds makes each frame snap and it is his skill that makes this feel almost like a “fly on the wall” moment.

There is a lot going on here

Sundays with Dad presents an enormous amount of information in this short lunch time exchange:

Ben clearly sees more of Jason than the rest of his small extended family. This fact alone presents questions of compatibility issues with his daughter-in-law and grandson.

Or is this down to:

The man in his autumnal throes of loneliness and lack of communication becoming too much effort for the entire family unit?

In addition:

Why are Ben’s arms covered in plasters, aka “Bandaids?”

So many questions and interesting things to discover about this relationship and their lives. All in under 22 minutes.

Jason clearly “gets” his dad. Although he is aghast at the thought of a sex worker keeping his father company.

the verdict

Sundays with Dad is a 5 star effort from Alysm Films and Timothy J Cox. Cox continues to grow as an actor, writer and producer. This short offering gives so much and leaves us asking a number of questions.

As a dramedy, this one delivers. The film is starting its festival run and should get a lot of attention.

Hildebrand and Cox deliver touching and complex performances here. Each man gives us a character with layers. There is indeed comedy in this drama and Sundays with Dad is a film that shows just why I love Indie Film.

The trailer