Greetings again from the darkness. A father and son meet for dinner at the local Chinese restaurant. Both are coming straight from Jobe's gig with his punk rock band The Nose Bleeds. Steve (the dad) admits with pride that he was in the mosh pit for the show, and sports the band's t-shirt under his blazer.
The dynamics of the dinner shift quickly when it's discovered that each of these men desperately need something from the other. Director Madeleine Gottlieb co-wrote the script with James Fraser (who also plays Jobe), and we quickly understand that father (Steve Rodgers) and son are each pursuing their dreams, and it's quite interesting to compare their reactions to our own as we watch this unfold.
It's always disheartening to see a parent use the "sacrifices made" argument against their kid (at any age), and it's equally disconcerting to see an entitled grown kid still financially dependent on their parents for pursuing life dreams. The parent feels like they've earned the chance to do something for themselves, and the kid believes the parent exists to support their children no matter what.
All middle-aged men may not be ready to quit their job to concentrate on drumming, and all 20-somethings may not be ready to take their punk rock band on a tour through Japan; however, scenarios similar to this one are playing out more frequently these days, and the film does an admirable job of exploring what happens when the dynamics change over time (and over steamed dumplings).
