Momma's Man

2008. USA. Directed by Azazel Jacobs. The narcissism and inherent freedom of adolescence can have addictive properties. For Mikey, a thirty-something father of a newborn who works a nothing job, a moment of adolescent relapse becomes a rabbit hole of immobility. Visiting his New York artist parents (portrayed with heartbreaking depth and impressive naturalism by director Azazel Jacobs's real-life parents, Ken and Flo) on a business trip away from his family in California, Mikey finds himself unable to leave his childhood home (the Jacobs' own downtown loft, a true character unto itself). His actions are not based in malice, though his indecisiveness and the natural, sweetly overbearing concern of his family cause him to spiral down a path of untruth and abandonment. Filled with wry humor and an authenticity that once defined independent film, Momma's Man is superbly crafted, funny, and utterly poignant. 94 min.