I Love My Dad

First-time director James Morosini (who also wrote and stars) spins this semi-autobiographical tale about a young, troubled guy (Morosini) who gets catfished by his estranged, deadbeat dad (Patton Oswalt). In an attempt to reconnect, the two end up on a road trip together, with Dad driving son to meet the girl Dad's been posting as. It's a cringe-comedy premise that's both helped and hindered by its true-life origins. Morosini lends authenticity by playing the lead but fails to make him a compelling protagonist. Oswalt creates a character we feel sympathy for even though he's so off-putting, which is the main thing this film has going for it. But a more seasoned director might have been able to do a whole lot more with a script that never gets beyond its intriguing logline.