Written and directed by James Morosini
Starring Patton Oswalt, James Morosini, Claudia Sulewski
Rated R
Runtime: 1 hour, 36 minutes
Opens in select theaters August 5

by Nikk Nelson, Staff Writer

“The following actually happened. My Dad asked me to tell you it didn’t.”

I have been one of Patton Oswalt’s biggest fans for about twenty years. I think he’s one of the coolest people on the planet. I mean that objectively. As in, he does cool stuff. Constantly. Whether it’s writing an introduction to a volume of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’s graphic novel Criminal, writing his own books like Silver Screen Fiend, voicing the titular M.O.D.O.K in the very unfairly canceled Hulu series, having memorable guest starring roles on shows like Justified and docs like Blood Into Wine (2010), or sharing the delightful podcast Did You Get My Text? opposite his wife Meredith Salenger, every time I look in Patton’s direction, he’s making the absolute most of his talents. And I didn’t even mention his amazing standup comedy which I got to see live for the first time in Kansas City earlier this year.

What I admire even more about Patton is he takes the time to share what he thinks is cool. Because of Patton Oswalt, I was introduced to writers like Harlan Ellison and comic books like Maniac of New York. A truly great artist doesn’t just constantly plug their own shit while tearing down who they perceive to be their competition. Great artists are professionals of their art as well as professional appreciators of art. I would not be half the critic and writer I am without the positive influence of Patton Oswalt. 

I also didn’t even get to his film roles. Standouts for me are Big Fan (2009) and Young Adult (2011) but I honestly believe Patton has turned in an Oscar-worthy performance in his latest feature film, I Love My Dad (2022). Based on a real experience of writer/director/co-star James Morosini, Patton Oswalt plays Chuck, an emotionally deadbeat dad who, in a desperate attempt to reconnect with his son, Franklin, catfishes him as the supportive, beautiful, girl-of-Franklin’s dreams, Becca. What follows is one of the most well-executed, courageous, and, finally, thankfully, original romcoms I’ve seen in a really long time.  

What could easily, and dully, be a long string of popup on-screen text messages is instead embodied with a physical actor for Becca in a pitch-perfect performance by Claudia Sulewski. Having random chats between Becca and Franklin presented as, for example, Becca suddenly jumping out of a grocery store freezer while Franklin is shopping is an ingenious way to capture what, until now, seemed to be a cinematically intangible, and therefore cinematically absent, aspect of dating life in the 21st century—what it’s like to date when technology practically guarantees our constant availability and accessibility. Literally anywhere out of nowhere our love interest can engage with us and immediately stakes are high. Everything we do, don’t do, say, or don’t say in a single moment could continue the relationship or end it. The fact that this is all told through the lens of a father catfishing his son adds even another layer of dense social commentary that really made me stop and think about the nature of connections and relationships in the landscape of unfathomable technology that we should all really, really take more time to actually fathom, especially the psychological consequences. The film fully, hilariously, and heartbreakingly explores not just what it’s like for younger people that grew up/are growing up with it but the older generation who were suddenly and unwittingly thrown into it.  

James Morosini’s performance is incredible. As the film opens, Franklin is already in crisis. His relationship with Becca inspires the confidence he needs to not only heal but flourish. And that opens up a very intriguing set of existential questions. Namely, was his father’s absence the reason he didn’t have it in the first place? So, was his father on some level right to try and fix it? Should that kind of thing come from a romantic relationship? Well, if you didn’t get it from your parents, where else do you get it? What even is a relationship? Is online dating a relationship? While we’re at it, who and what the hell are we? I think James Morosini is an auteur in the making and I think Patton Oswalt could see it just like he sees all the other really cool shit he gets involved with. I will be watching Morosini’s other feature Threesomething (2018) as soon as possible. There are standouts in the supporting cast as well including Rachel Dratch as Erica and Lil Rel Howery as Jimmy. I seriously cannot recommend this film enough. 

• Double feature with Ruby Sparks (2012) or recommended Patton performances above

• If you’d like to meditate further with similar questions about loneliness in an age of unprecedented connectivity, try The End of the Tour (2015)