Daddy Longlegs (2009 film)

Plot

Lenny, a divorced father and a projectionist at a Manhattan movie theater, spends two weeks with his young sons Sage and Frey. It's immediate made clear in the film that Lenny, who may have undiagnosed mental problems, is completely unable to properly care for his children and that even the very limited time he can spend with them (his ex-wife has primary custody) poses a danger to their health and well-being. After such stunts as taking them on long pointless jaunts through the city or handing them money to walk a long way to a dangerous neighborhood to get items for dinner, Lenny responds to the pressures of a nagging sort-of-girlfriend and his job as a movie projectionist by drugging Sage and Frey with a powerful Ambien-type medicine that nearly kills them before they miraculously wake up after nearly 3 days. At the end of the film, Lenny has been evicted from his apartment and hires a moving van to bring his stuff to storage, but Lenny is so obnoxious that the van driver throws him and the kids out of the truck and dumps their stuff in the middle of a Manhattan street, leaving Lenny homeless and broken as the movie ends.

Cast

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Production

The film was produced by Neistat Scott and Associates and the production was through the New York City based film collective Red Bucket Films, of which the Safdie brothers are founding members. Sage and Frey Ranaldo are sons of Sonic Youth guitarist Lee Ranaldo, who has a cameo appearance, and Leah Singer, who plays protagonist Lenny's ex-wife. The theater at which Lenny works is a combination of Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater (interiors) and the Cinema Village (exterior).

Awards

Daddy Longlegs won the Fipresci (International Federation of Film Critics) Award at the 20th Annual Ljubljana International Film Festival. Ronald Bronstein won the Gotham Award in the category of Best Breakthrough Actor for his performance. The film took home the John Cassavetes Award at the 2011 Independent Spirit Awards