Contrary to what some American politicians (and some of their base) would tell you, having children isn’t a cure-all. In the same way that pets for the holidays are a great idea filled with visions of beautiful smiles and joyous reactions, the next morning often leads to a tiny bit of regret as one realizes that nighttime walks, soiled bedding, mandated play, and repeat feedings are going to be part of your future until the end of one of you. It’s an incredible responsibility to take care of another life, yet, some will tell you that the cure to what ails you lies in the inclusion of a tiny heart, either residing in a possibly furry-friend or of your own genetic makeup. Parenting requires a conscious act of everyday sacrifice to ensure that this new life is cared for; it is not an accessory. This is but one element tackled in the family drama Daruma, the first feature from screenwriter/actor Kelli McNeil-Yellen and director Alexander Yellen (Finders Keepers) which was previously available on VOD and digital and is now available to own on DVD. The film walks a familiar narrative road of redemption and reconciliation through the lens of arrested development and found parenthood within the disability community.
Tobias Forrest as Patrick in DARUMA. Photo courtesy of Freestyle Digital Media.
Patrick (Tobias Forrest) spends his days mostly hungover from his nights at a local strip club. This certainly puts strain on the job which he works for acquaintance Thomas (Austin Basis) and it absolutely makes it difficult to maintain self-care, such as maintaining his health, his nutrition, and his mobility, because he burns through his funds before he can replenish his coffers. The morning after a bender, Patrick is awoken by two Child Protective Services officers who inform him of the existence of his daughter, Camille (newcomer Victoria Scott), and the recent passing of her mother. With the promise of Camille’s monthly benefits, Patrick is enticed to take on the role of father, but soon discovers that the responsibility is more than he’s willing to bear, requiring him to reach out to Camille’s grandparents as new custodians for the young child. Though they accept, it’s up to Patrick to get Camille to them in Rhode Island from Arizona, which means finding a ride, and the only one available is Patrick’s next-door neighbor Robert (John W. Lawson) with whom he has a contentious relationship.
Victoria Scott as Camille in DARUMA. Photo courtesy of Freestyle Digital Media.
In an odd way, the roteness of Daruma is both its strength and a weakness. Because the film features a father-daughter dynamic, one in which the father type is crotchety, a bit of a drunkard, and a louse whose life is turned upside-down by the introduction of an unknown offspring, audiences are going to have a good sense of where the film is headed well before the proverbial train leaves the station. The route, however, includes a number of unexpected moments which aid in infusing the expected narrative beats with a freshness and air of unpredictability. For instance, having set up that Patrick is bad with money and the acceptance of Camille comes with a monthly payday, of course he accepts, but he doesn’t entirely turn into Miss Hannigan (Carol Burnett), and, when the requirement of travel arrives, of course the road trip turns into a series of odd-couple bits as unfriendly neighbors Patrick and Robert work their issues out. Within the expectations, however, are such moments of authenticity that one forgives the familiar wrapping, such as Camille’s tendency for eloping, the subtext within Patrick and Robert’s interactions as a replacement for Patrick’s undiscussed father issues, and the slow realization that while one may not be fit to be a parent in the moment they become one, this doesn’t mean they can’t evolve with time.
L-R: Victoria Scott as Camille and Tobias Forrest as Patrick in DARUMA. Photo courtesy of Freestyle Digital Media.
So much of this is powered by lovely performances from the central threesome of Forrest, Lawson, and Scott, whose on-screen chemistry makes one believe in this slowly formed family. In particular, perhaps because of this reviewer’s own four-year-old, but the way McNeil-Yellen writes Camille speaks of experience with the spontaneity, sweet-yet-sour personality of a small child, and seeming unawareness of what’s going on all while taking in everything that occurs, and the way Scott brings the character to existence positively warms the heart. We, as an audience, don’t learn a lot about Camille nor do we have a strong sense of just how long Patrick tried to parent before seeking the handoff with the grandparents (an element which makes the film feel sort of rushed to get to the road trip), yet we nevertheless come to be charmed by her all the same. Comparatively, we get so much more from Forrest and Lawson respective performances, their oppositional approaches to each other driven more by presumption and the stories they tell themselves about the other (or others in general) than by who they actually are. For instance, their performances illustrate Patrick’s general disdain for people who seem to view him with and without pity for using a wheelchair, creating opportunities for confrontation over the smallest things, vs. Robert’s personal comfort as a double arm-amputee, a realization that we are invited to discover through the duo’s trip. Forrest truly makes the audience believe in Patrick’s determination to avoid self-reflection and responsibility, while Lawson easily conveys Robert’s desire to connect with those he’s estranged from as the undercurrent driving factor for helping Camille (not Patrick).
Both Patrick and Robert are both characters with disabilities and are played by actors with disabilities, but the script doesn’t define either of them by just their respective disability. There’s a rich history in filmmaking of including a character with a disability to either teach a lesson to another character or to, in some way, be a beacon for overcoming adversity. McNeil-Yellen and Yellen’s Daruma could just as easily feature actors without disabilities, visible or not, and the film would basically function the same. Patrick is not a person with poor character qualities *because* he has a disability, he’s just a person with flaws. The further into the film we go, the more we learn about Patrick and how, while others might presume his heavy drinking and inability to care for himself are directly tied to what made him a wheelchair user, the truth is that these personality traits are who Patrick is — a stark contrast from the expectation created by centuries of stories heaped onto society which have connected disability with immorality, personal failings, and other denigrations. The authenticity of Daruma comes from presenting a story in which the disability a character has is a factor within the narrative, but it is not the defining attribute or critical element that must be overcome by them or any other character.
L-R: Tobias Forrest as Patrick, Victoria Scott as Camille, and John W. Lawson as Robert in DARUMA. Photo courtesy of Freestyle Digital Media.
Be advised that the DVD edition of Daruma is a DVD-5, which is the smallest of the standard DVD offerings as a single-layer disc that holds less than 5 GB of data. As such, all you can expect from the release is the feature film and the trailer. No bonus materials of any kind are included. Viewing the film via a 4K UHD Panasonic player on a 4K UHD Sony television, the film was up-converted and looks great: solid detail and colors, crisp dialogue, and clear sound. Modern cinephiles may have a preference for the latest and greatest tech (4K UHD, currently), but not all films require it. Whatever one thinks of the film itself, the presentation on the DVD doesn’t disappoint.
L-R: Tobias Forrest as Patrick and John W. Lawson as Robert in DARUMA. Photo courtesy of Freestyle Digital Media.
Originally a 2018 short written by McNeill-Yellen and directed by Yellen, Daruma represents the fully-realized vision of the story. Because of the way the film rushes through a potential love story with Abigail Hawk’s Anna and doesn’t make clear just how long Patrick tries to parent (the time shown being a mix of very real moments in parenting), as well as the well-worn beats the film follows, one doesn’t find anything truly revelatory in the watch. However, stories like this one matter in changing the tide of perception against generations of muckraking toward a community of individuals who are either villains or idols, depending on the storyteller. That the film also makes a point to highlight how not all people are suitable parents and that having a child doesn’t fix you, but it might inspire reconstruction to become the person that, perhaps, you needed at that same age. When it comes to changing minds and being good parents, we can use all the daruma we can get.
Available on VOD and digital November 15th, 2024.
Available on DVD December 17th, 2024.
For more information, head either to the official Freestyle Digital Media Daruma webpage or the Daruma website.
Final Score: 3.5 out of 5.
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Categories: Home Release, Home Video, Recommendation, Reviews, streaming
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