Don't Worry Baby — Blue Fairy Film Blog

Premises cannot support an entire movie. So many independent productions don’t understand that just because the plot revolves around something unseemly, or strange, or even downright crazy, that doesn’t mean it’s going to be good. I can’t tell you how many indie films I have seen where the writer/director has tried to throw in some “manic pixie dream girl” figure and a cast of misfit supporting characters and hope that it will magically create a distinct voice amongst the throngs of similar films released every year. This recycled plot follows a disgruntled photographer who sleeps with the same girl as his philandering father and they don’t know who the biological father is.

At the beginning this is actually a pretty enjoyable film, what with the main roles being filled by up and comer John Magaro, the enjoyably villainous Christopher McDonald, and one of my favorite character actresses, Dreama Walker. Years after Robert (Magaro) and his father sleep with Sara-Beth (Walker) Robert is working for his parents and has lapsed in his photography. His parents are divorced, (or separated; it’s not clear) but are making their business work. His mother doesn’t resent his father but does find all sorts of opportunities to tell him that she doesn’t respect him and can’t be in the same room as him. The film follows Robert as he tries to forge a relationship with Sara-Beth and her daughter Mason, and regain his confidence and vigor for life.

The film does well when it centers on Robert and Mason’s relationship. Robert is trying to understand his place in her life and be a better person, and that transformation is enlightening to see. Usually films look at the mother-child bond, but the father-child bond is just as interesting to modern audiences. At the same time Robert’s father is grappling with his loneliness, but that isn’t seen all that much, and lends to an uneven and boring narrative. During the entire film Robert has a girl interested in him, but he doesn’t really interact with her much, and it’s unclear if she really is a contender for his heart. There’s simply too much going on between all these side stories for anyone to gain a clear narrative or for us to empathize with any one character. Robert is the most interesting, and we do gain some perspective into his mindset, but it’s not a great enough narrative to truly entertain. There’s no void that this film fills. Hopefully Magaro’s big upcoming projects will overshadow this indie wreck.