Skippers

Aaron Wertheimer does it again with his deadpan, absurdist, yet convincingly sincere follow up to Wedgerino. The actors clearly take the material seriously, yet are in on the joke. In under 2 hours we see believable growth from the characters while laughing during hysterical dialogue. The actors ranging from seasoned to rookie make me want to see more from them. Wertheimer has a killer part that he completely nails. Wertheimer's adorable daughter and extremely talented wife Joey make incredible cameos. I highly recommend this film!

Within the first 10 minutes of Skippers I couldn't help but laugh out loud. Skippers takes place in a small town with a lot of quirky characters, and by the end you're left with a lot of relatable people and a lot of heart. I agree with Reel Chicago, it's hard to decide what to take seriously and what to laugh at. The director, Aaron Wetheimer, really did a great job picking out the set and the location in Michigan. He made me want to go back and visit.

Smart and funny with a deep message. The originality and tenderness of the movie keeps the audience connected from beginning to end.

The first thing you'll notice about Aaron Wertheimer's "Skippers" is how beautifully shot it is. Almost entirely shot in (my hometown of) Bay City, Michigan in the Fall. The colors just pop off the screen and the shots of stones slowly skipping, zen-like, across the water are worthy of most big budget nature docs. The second thing you'll notice is that "Skippers" is goofily tender and not about much but about a lot at the same time. The performances are, maybe a little unpolished but feel genuine as do the characters. It's laugh out funny at times. I think it feels a little rushed at the end, possibly a prisoner to its brisk 70 minute run time but it never wears out its welcome and could have benefited from being a little longer. Forgive me for this but....don't skip it.

Like his first film, Wedgerino, which is kind of brilliant, Wertheimer pushes the absurdest style and humor even further in Skippers. The script is hilarious and meaningful, the acting is sharp, and the cinematography is beautiful. Really happy I got to see this when it was on the festival circuit, and excited for it to come out online. Definitely recommend!