Sundays With Dad

Sundays with Dad is an all-American, family-based short film. Directed by Thomas Angeletti, the film follows Widower Ben, who is spending a Sunday afternoon bonding with his son Jason, a weekly tradition they have maintained for years. The film takes place mostly on Ben’s porch, where Ben reveals to his son that he has been struggling with loneliness and shares a secret he has been ashamed of: how he has been coping without his late wife, Maggie. Ben has hired a prostitute named Heather — but not for sexual purposes. Heather is simply there as a companion to Ben, for him to spend time with so he can enjoy his life, distracted from the difficult feelings of grief. This revelation is bizarre at first; however, as the two men connect and Ben opens up, viewers will find themselves touched by Ben’s story and somewhat empathising with the choice he made to hire Heather.

Whilst the two main protagonists are men, and they are also the only physical characters in the film, a major theme of the film is the role of women. Jason speaks lovingly about his wife Melanie, who also had a caring relationship with Ben, and Ben is haunted by his unrelenting love for his dead wife, which is torturous for him now that he must live without her. Although there is controversial messaging here surrounding the purpose of women, as being there to comfort men, those who watch and listen to Ben can understand the situational nature of his struggles, and allow his feelings to be at the core of the film’s messaging. 

The exploitation of women for use in prostitution is grim on many levels, so viewers may find it difficult to open their minds to the film’s core narrative. Sexual or not, the concept of a man paying a woman for her comforting services is a long-lived, disgusting exchange which is ingrained in misogyny. We sense Jason’s disgust at his father’s revelation, although he eventually comes to understand his father’s difficulties leading to this decision, as Ben breaks down in front of him. However, with its short runtime of only 22 minutes, and unfortunate lack of actual characterisation of Heather as she is never pictured on screen, Ben’s action does not feel truly justified. This is worsened by the emphasis made on the fact that she is good at cooking and cleaning, another example of the film leaning into misogynistic tropes about women. 

The most touching aspect of Sundays with Dad is Ben and Jason’s relationship, and the way that both characters express emotions. Jason and Ben’s weekly time together is clearly more of a routine than a true time of bonding; until this precise Sunday, both men haven’t been able to truly open up to one another. Here, viewers witness a heartfelt flooding of emotion as Jason comes to understand the true impact of Maggie’s loss. Though both actors are cast as unprofessional, their talent does not go unnoticed. This is particularly the case for George R. Hildebrand, who plays Ben. The film is made up of lingering still takes, allowing Hildebrand to shine through his monologues.

Sundays with Dad is a film full of love. This is seen in the film’s attention to detail. In the small moments that are shot inside the house, the camera’s close-up shots show a romanticisation of the cinematic space, focusing on the joy in small, satisfying domestic moments such as the opening of a brown paper bag and the preparation of lunch. Love is also clearly the strongest emotion that both men feel. This is what leads them to accept one another fully, as Ben accepts that Jason now has a family of his own to take care of, so he cannot spend more than one day a week with him, and Jason accepts that his grief has led him to make a morally controversial choice to help him cope. Most of all, Ben’s love for his late wife is what permeates the entire film. Ben’s sadness and the hole that is in his life are especially moving, and all the while, adoring. What is grief, if not love persevering?