Our Father

This short film written and directed by Linda Palmer stars Michael Gross as, John, a formerly brutish father beset by Alzheimer's and Michael Worth as, Jared, the conflicted son reluctantly tasked to care for him. The film is a short 22 minutes as Jared struggles with his father who vacillates between infantile helplessness and abusive rage. In the conflict between father and son, secrets of the older man's past emerge and give the son a new understanding of his father's anger. The film is well paced and beautifully filmed using reflective surfaces to indicate the emotional double life of John. Except for a couple of short scenes in a closet and several flashbacks, the bulk of the film takes place in the bathroom as Jared struggles to coax his father into performing daily necessities. Frustration and anger is palpable in the film, but Palmer deftly relieves the strain with well-placed flashbacks and the patient ministrations of Danny, John's gentle grandson played by David Topp. Michael Gross's and Michael Worth's performances are riveting.

This story was very touching and moving. Thoroughly enjoyed the movie. Short stories can pack a heartfelt punch - and this one certainly does a great job at that! There were some nice twists in this short film so I will not comment on the specifics of the story so as to allow the viewer to enjoy it firsthand.

I was impressed with the acting and the direction. I thought the filmmakers were very creative in how they visually shared the main character's back story through the course of the film. It was refreshing to see the filmmakers rely on the strength of the script and the acting to showcase a strong narrative. In addition to strong storytelling and direction, the title song was spot on emotionally and only strengthened the theme of the story. I would highly recommend this film for viewing. It recently started on the festival circuit and is doing very well. Continued success to the filmmakers!

This is an excellent film that accurately portrays the difficult and heart wrenching effects of dementia/Alzheimers on a family. In an unexpected twist, it also shows the far-reaching consequences of trying to change who a person is; how it molds the human psyche and can negatively affect a person (and their future relationships) for the rest of their lives.

The camera work by DP P.J. Gaynard is imaginative and engaging and every role is thoughtfully & brilliantly acted by all of the performers.

Michael Gross is brilliant as "John". Having been a long time fan of his from his "Family Ties" days, I was pleasantly surprised to see him show such a dynamic range. No "Father of the Year" award here!

I enjoyed the contrast in relationships that "Jared" (Michael Worth) and "Danny" (David Topp) have with "John" (Gross) As in real life, it's a constant roller coaster ride of emotions and reactions. The protective firmness along with love and tenderness shown by David Topp as "Danny" is real and touching.

While she does not have a great deal of screen time, Eileen Grubba adds an extra layer of depth to this piece and also does an outstanding job of being hard and soft at the same time. She flows so effortlessly in this role, it made me wonder how much of her performance is experience-based and how much is pure acting know-how.

I was engaged from beginning to end. I hope to see this turned into a full length feature film in order to get more of the back story and fill in a lot of the blanks. The film makes us care about these characters and we'd like to see more of the road that led them to where they are today.

Two thumbs way up and kudos to all cast & crew.

An amazing film about the effects of dementia. It delivers a powerful emotional experience combined with outstanding performances led by Michael Gross and Michael Worth. The atmosphere created is authentic and portrays a frustrated and exhausted family caring for a dad who suffers from dementia. The setting of a bathroom is unique and creates an intense experience. The theme will resonate with many people around the world who deal or have dealt with these issues while caring for loved ones. Our Father is an example of amazing writing, direction and acting. Linda Palmer's clear vision and superb storytelling makes this a must-see film. 

"Our Father", a short film written and directed by Linda Palmer, opens with a steady build-up leading me from curious to overwhelmed with emotion. John played by Michael Gross was nothing less than amazing in his portrayal of a man in the grip of late stage dementia with incredibly realistic behavior bordering on schizophrenic. Michael Worth who portrays Jared was so convincing in his role as somewhat estranged son, that I truly felt his anguish, anger and frustration in his hopeless attempt to be the good son. Eileen Grubba (Kate) and David Topp (Danny) were perfectly cast as wife and son trying their best to support Jared and help care for his rapidly deteriorating absentee father as he tries to understand who his dad is why wasn't he there for him.