Céline Roustan
Break-ups are never easy, especially if you live together. For Alison, her boxes are packed and all she’s waiting for is her father to help with the move. Before they get started though, they decide to smoke a little weed, which may or may not bring her some clarity on her current emotional situation. Writer/director Lena Hudson (Too Long at the Fair) returns to S/W with Daddy’s Girl, an undeniably fun film to watch with Freudians undertones, some more obvious than others!
“I have a very close but complicated relationship with my Dad, and I’ve wanted to do a father/daughter story for a long time”
It is not often that we get to see a father/daughter relationship on screen, especially through a comedic lens. When we asked Hudson what sparked her inspiration, she revealed that she had actually “wanted to do a father/daughter story for a long time”. After several attempts, she finally penned the screenplay, aiming to craft a narrative that created “a balance between tenderness and discomfort”. She also added, and we could not agree more, “nothing feels more uncomfortable than thinking about the legacy of a parental relationship on someone’s sexual desires”.
Between the older boyfriend and her father’s behavior, the film slowly reveals the intricacies of the father/daughter relationship, while the dialogue remains witty and sharp. As we get to tag along on Alison’s journey of self realization, we’re allowed to process the break-up at the same pace as the titular ‘daddy’s girl’, even allowing ourselves to be distracted by the same things. With a screenplay that perfectly balances the comedy of the situation with the unavoidable hints of sadness that come with this relationship ending, the depth of the writing really hits in the final scene. Hudson may end her film on a quiet note, but it’s the perfect moment for her main character, and the audience, to let it all sink in.
Peter Friedman (L) and Tedra Millan star as father and daughter in Lena Hudson’s short
Daddy’s Girl is undeniably a character driven film, where the dialogue is just as important as the non verbal communication. Tedra Millan and Peter Friedman (who most of you will recognize as Frank from Succession) share the perfect chemistry, creating an authentic relationship and allowing us to understand their dynamic through their interactions. Friedman really embodies the cool and caring dad, showing up to save the day, with a breakup survival kit (pot and Joni Mitchell). While Millan’s performance is surprisingly touching as a woman a bit lost, caught between contrasting emotions.
Ahead of its online release as a Vimeo Staff Pick Premiere, Daddy’s Girl has had an impressive festival run, premiering at Sundance, before screening at SXSW, Aspen, Palm Springs and San Diego, where it picked up the Best Comedy Short Award. Fans of the short will be happy to hear that Hudson is currently working on expanding the short into a feature.