Review: William H. Macy Makes Directorial Debut with ‘Rudderless’

When I saw the description of this film as “music/drama” I wondered if this would be more of a musical themed picture. When I say musical, I’m meaning more of a “Rent” type theme.

Wow…was I wrong. And I’m glad I was. Nothing against Rent, but Rudderless turned out to be a film where the music itself played as much of a character as the actors themselves.

Here’s the plot- Sam, played by actor Billy Crudup, is a former ad executive who is left devastated by the sudden loss of his son. While trying to cope with the tragedy, he discovers musical talents left behind by his son, musical talents that help him deal with the fact that he wasn’t the best dad.

Sam leaves his world behind and lives on a docked sailboat where he drowns his sorrow in alcohol while going through his deceased son’s demo tapes and lyrics. Learning the songs, he then finds solace while performing during an open-mic night at a local bar, whose owner is played by the talented William H. Macy, who makes his directorial debut with Rudderless.

Along comes an aspiring musician named Quentin, played by Anton Yelchin, who REALLY likes Sam’s music and suggests they form a band.

The story takes some twists from this point where both characters re-discover themselves and learn about their own lives and how to deal with struggles that may or may not have been their own fault.

The cast also includes Selena Gomez who plays the girlfriend of Sam’s son Josh (played by Miles Heizer), Laurence Fishburne who plays Del, owner of a local music store, and Felicity Huffman, Emily, who is Sam’s ex-wife.
Without spoiling the plot, Rudderless gives us a perspective from someone who, while indirectly involved in a tragic episode, IS affected by actions of others.

The music in the movie has an indie-vibe to it, which works well with the indie-style shots in the film. In fact, I am probably going to search out the soundtrack on iTunes. It’s that good.

Macy’s directorial debut also gets kudos. I hope we see more from him in the director’s chair.

This is a story of relationships, grief, and hope.

Be warned, this is a tear jerker and I am issuing a tissue alert.

Rudderless opens at the Sundance Cinemas in Houston, Texas on October 17, 2014 and is rated R.