Nothing To Do- A Heartwarming Movie That Handles The Complexities Of Death And Family Grief With An Abundance Of Grace And Humor

Quality family time. Paul Fahrenkopf and Connie Bowman play estranged siblings brought together by the impending death of their father. Photo courtesy of Nothing To Do Facebook Page.

Mike Kravinsky has a real gem on his hands with Nothing To Do, a fantastic story about a much loved father at the end of his life, with his two polar opposite children trying to do what’s best for him in his final hours. The debate of quality of life verses quantity, is a patient coherent enough to make their own life or death decisions, and should family try to override a patient’s decision for end stage care is tackled with great humanity and respect for both sides of this all too familiar tug-of-war. The storyline is relatable, reasonable, and may even give a glimmer of hope to those who are dealing with similar situations.

The movie starts with Irv, the father at the heart of this story, back in the hospital again after another close call concerning his health. His oldest child, Kenny (Paul Fahrenkopf), a DJ who is just happy to work, smoke weed, bowl, and have a good time, is tapped to make some very difficult decisions about his father’s care, of which he discusses with Irv who Kenny, along with the hospital staff, considers coherent enough to decide what his next steps are. Irv decides he wants to go home and live out his last days comfortably, so arrangements are made to make it happen. Kenny’s wealthy, high-strung estranged sister Rachel (Connie Bowman) cannot handle the idea of her father dying within a year of losing their mother, so she tries to intervene in her father’s care, believing she’s the only one qualified to make those decisions. Rachel learns the hard way that there are rules to this sort of situation, and Irv is immediately placed back on his original plan of care, with a humbled daughter in tow, finally grasping the realities of the situation.

As Irv’s health deteriorates, we see the odd and sometimes uncomfortable ways people deal with impending death. As Kenny and Rachel make peace during the course of taking care of their father, Kenny relies on weed and other substances to help him cope while, at the same time, trying to start a new relationship with the girl-next-door and maintain his employment status.  Rachel just allows everything to build up internally while trying to maintain control over her failing marriage and her college age daughter’s dating life, with both roads leaving both siblings emotionally unprepared for Irv’s final moments. It’s all just  very human interactions in what all too often are considered super natural moments, which I think is what makes this movie so spectacular.

A moment of contemplation. With camera in your face. Great shot of a deep scene courtesy of Nothing To Do Facebook Page.

Written and directed by Mike Kravinsky, Nothing To Do is a quirky yet tangible, with great dialogue and fantastic character interactions. The shots always make great use of space and lighting, and include local businesses to add to its authenticity. The music score adds a lot of depth and emotion to film overall, so I would definitely recommend Nothing To Do for your viewing pleasure.

The awards, selections, and nominations speak volumes. Photo courtesy of Nothing To Do Facebook Page.

Official trailer can be seen here