.pattonoswalt plays a catfishing dad in this SXSW world premiere.
Imagine: You meet the love of your life online. You form an irreplaceable bond. Say things you've never said to anyone. You think you're going to be together forever. And all this time it's actually been your dad., the immaculately titled familial catfishing story world premiering at SXSW 2022. If the premise sounds absurd, it's worth noting that the film is based on a real-life incident that happened to writer, director, and star James Morosini.
Seeing just how far the ruse goes is all part of the fun. Morosini plays estranged son Franklin alongside Patton Oswalt as Chuck, the filmic counterpart to Morosini's father. Chuck's scheme is born out of a desperate attempt to rekindle an estranged relationship with his son, as he creates a fake profile by using the name and photos of a waitress at a local diner named Becca .
It's founded on a comedic premise and often has plenty of fun at the expense of the situation, though the story is anchored in complex emotional territory between Franklin and Chuck's strained relationship. The navigation between the humor and the sadness was always part of the film's DNA, but Oswalt helped the movie find the true balance it needed.
The comedy of it all is aided by supporting performers including Lil Rel Howery, Rachel Dratch, and Amy Landecker. But ultimately, this is about being able to recognize and process the emotional turmoil between a father who has taken drastic measures to talk to the son that wants nothing to do with him."I wanted to tell an extremely subjective story from somebody doing something unusual, but doing it for the right reasons," Morosini said.