Parents' Guide to Sometime Other Than Now

A coming-of-age drama about characters in their mid-50s may appeal to some viewers, but teens won't likely want to see it -- nor should they. Sam is a man who ran from his family responsibilities when the going got tough. Three decades later -- after his ex-wife's death -- he decides to show up for his adult daughter to try to build a relationship. It's not completely an apologist tale, as the fly-on-the-wall perspective doesn't let viewers tap into anyone's motivations beyond what they tell us. Instead of suggesting the magical repair of a severed relationship, it lets viewers debate internally whether Sam's daughter, Audrey (Trieste Kelly Dunn), should forgive him and accept him back into her life -- or tell him to stay under a rock.

Still, much of Sometime Other Than Now plays out like the fantasy of a long-absent parent. If this is anyone's story, though, it's Kate's. A divorcée who's taken over her family's motel and diner, she gets in everyone's business without viewers learning too much about her. But she's the glue of the story, a woman who recognizes the broken parts in others and involves herself to mend them. It's too bad that writer-director-producer Dylan McCormick has created strong female characters here but doesn't quite take them all the way. In fact, one key insight into Kate comes strictly from Walsh's performance: When Sam asks her whether she has children, she simply says no -- but her eyes, her face, and her intonation subtly suggest a much more complex story. As Sam and Kate fall into a sexual camaraderie, it's clear that this is a mature story for mature audiences.