We didn’t just like Bob Trevino, we loved it. Barbie Ferreira and John Leguizamo play Lily and Bob, damaged characters who form a family of choice. They find each other through the prism of social media, but form their bond through kind caring face-to-face human interaction. John Leguizamo, known for his versatility and total engagement as an actor, gets the chance to play a totally good guy. Loved him in Critical Thinking, which he also directed, about a Miami school teacher who teaches inner-city kids to play chess and ultimately win a chess championship.
Watch the Q & A from our seeing the film at SXSW 2023 where Leguizamo talks about loving this role, instead of being typecast as a Latino Cartel or gang leader.
This film is semi-autobiographical. Writer/Director Tracie Laymon based it on her own experience searching for her own estranged father on Facebook. In the film, Lily’s father, Bob (French Stewart) gives a disturbing performance as a selfish, uncaring brute. When she can’t get her own dad to respond to repeated voice and text messages, she searched for another Bob Trevino who might be more receptive. By chance, she befriends a stranger with the same name as her father.
Leguizamo’s Bob Trevino works non-stop at his job for a construction company. His wife Jeanie (Rachel Bay Jones) spends all her time obsessively scrapbooking. They were close, but both trying to manage their melancholia which is cooling their relationship. Accepting Lily’s Facebook friendship request is the first time he’s even attempted to reach out for a human connection of any kind. This new Bob, slowly realizes that Lily is just looking for some kindness and emotional support. Director Laymon makes this the basis for the fictionalized version of her own story.
Lily (Ferriera), has a good soul, but she struggles to find friends and companionship. She has a kind face, expressive eyes and a beautiful smile that turns to crying and a frown often, because she’s really so broken. She’s a lonely, frustrated poet and a “sad sack.” Lily bumbles and stumbles her way through the day, always looking for something or someone to brighten it up. She looks to brush off the bad stuff with comedy if things don’t go quite right. John Rosario’s cinematography amplifies the emotional impact of Barbie’s excellent expressive performance with closeups so tight we can see the tears streaming down her face and dripping off her chin.
Her job, if you can call it that, is as a caretaker for Daphne (Lolo Spencer) a young wheelchair bound woman filled with stinging sarcasm and caustic honesty and levels with Lily observing her situation. Daphne is actually pretty active and cool with friends and boyfriends who visit often. She seems cold, but is always trying to get Lily to loosen up. Daphne is her friend who finally gets Lily to unleash her inner anger to the extreme in a physical way.
Laymon advances her relationship reacting to the new Bob’s Facebook posts and text messages. The building of trust and the ability to share feelings is at the heart of this story. Instead of extended flashbacks, Laymon uses shots of family photo albums from both Lily and Bob to provide the essential backstory that gives texture to Lily and her dad’s terrible relationship, as well as to why Bob and Jeanie’s life and love had changed. Both are heartbreaking on many levels, but Laymon treats them with sensitivity and just the right emotion.
This film showing the importance of human connection is slapstick funny and heart wrenching, often in the same scene. Laymon lets Ferreira and Leguizamo believe you can still friend good, honest people. It touched us and may touch you. Bring tissues.
Roadside Attractions 1 Hour 42 Minutes PG-13
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