William H. Macy has been a phenomenal actor going all the way back to FARGO and through films like MAGNOLIA and up to his recent starring role on Showtime’s SHAMELESS. The guy has worked with great filmmakers and actors for years and now has put those talents behind the camera for the first time. Macy’s directorial debut, RUDDERLESS, has premiered it’s first trailer and the movie looks pretty damn good.
Starring Billy Crudup, Anton Yelchin, Selena Gomez, Laurence Fishburne, and Macy’s wife Felicity Huffman, RUDDERLESS is a by the numbers indie film with musical undertones, the type of movie we have seen tons of in recent years. But, despite being somewhat formulaic, RUDDERLESS looks well made, well acted, and an overall good time.
Billy Crudup plays Sam, a former high-profile advertising executive whose life is torn apart by the sudden death of his son. Living off the grid on a docked sailboat, he wastes away his days while drowning his pain in alcohol. When Sam discovers a box filled with his son’s demo tapes and lyrics, his own child’s musical talent is a revelation for him, a grieving father who felt he’d been absent from his son’s life. Communing with his deceased son’s dashed dreams, Sam learns each song and eventually musters the will to perform one at a local bar. When Quentin, a young musician in the audience, is captivated by the song, the unlikely duo forms a rock band that becomes surprisingly popular and revitalizes both of their lives.
While RUDDERLESS may not break new dramatic ground, it looks like it has excellent performances from the entire cast. Billy Crudup has always been an under-utilized talent since he was in ALMOST FAMOUS. The guy is often billed as a poor man’s Mark Ruffalo, but he has the chops to really deliver and RUDDERLESS is a prime example. Hopefully this one will find an audience.
RUDDERLESS premieres in theaters and on demand on October 17th.
