Ian (Douglas Reese) has always seen himself as the black sheep of the
family, also due to his history with drugs and the like, but when he
returns home after months of absence, it's pretty much the return of the
prodigal son - at least judging from the reactions of his little brother
(Jayden Riggs) and sisters (Braelyn and Rylee Riggs) - but there's one
thing he dreads but knows he can't avoid forever, and that is the
confrontation with his grandma (Sue Crist), who he thinks hates him
because of his drug past, lifestyle and the like. But a heart-to-heart
between the two of them helps them see one another in a different light
... Birthday Boy is one of director Douglas Reese's more
personal films - in a filmography not poor on personal films mind you -,
dealing with issues like the (real or imagined) generational divide and
being an outcast (again real or imagined) that feel too alive in
this movie to not stem from personal experience. And the story is brought
to life by two great central performances (Crist and Reese), helped of
course by Reese's typical, unexcited camerawork and predilection for long
takes. Rather impressive a movie, actually!
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