In their directorial debut, Darien Jewel and Julian Mercado helm this family drama written by Cambria-based clinical psychologist Steve Brody about Jimmy Tucker (John Henry Richardson), an elderly widowed rancher who seems to be experiencing signs of dementia. Jimmy’s starting to believe his adult children—son Hal (Mark Ricketson) and daughter Emerson (Abi Renner)—are scheming to wrest control of his ranch from him. Are Alzheimer’s disease and paranoia at work, or is his family truly turning against him?
The central tension is complicated by clear evidence that Jimmy’s memory is failing but also evidence that his son has a hidden agenda regarding the family ranch. What are Hal’s intentions? What’s driving him? Dementia’s a horrible disease, and it’s hard watching Jimmy fade away. The story also examines the tension between preserving and developing land.
Deftly shot in bucolic Cambria, the film won Best Indie Feature at the Los Angeles Film Awards and Best Central Coast Feature at the SLO International Film Festival. Its cinematography by Nick Conocenti is impressive, Richardson’s Jimmy Stewart-esque third act speech as Jimmy is stirring, and the film’s emotionally charged conclusion is a testament to the power of independent filmmaking. (99 min.)
—Glen Starkey
This article appears in Jun 19-29, 2025.