Written, directed, produced, and edited by Steven Mannino, Birthday Cake opens on a family sitting down to eat a chocolate birthday cake for their deceased son. The mother (Corinna Harney-Jones) and father (Stu Chaiken) attempt to hold it together while the ghostly presence of their son (Daniel Warner) quietly observes.
What begins as a solemn moment quickly unravels into an emotionally charged conversation about blame, loss, and the state of their marriage. The cake, which was mistakenly delivered to their home, becomes a symbolic centerpiece.
The mother reflects on how hard it was raising their sick child, while the father accuses her of blaming him for the boy’s death. She confesses that she often felt trapped—less like a parent and more like a prisoner to the situation. The cake, which was mistakenly delivered to their home, becomes a symbolic centerpiece by rationalizing that everything happens for a reason. The mother views this as an excuse to avoid confronting reality. The argument intensifies as they accuse each other of negligence, using philosophical reasoning and emotional deflection to manage their pain. In their eyes, the child may have been the last bond keeping their marriage intact.
“…a family sitting down to eat a chocolate birthday cake for their deceased son.”
For most, there is no greater tragedy than losing someone you love, especially when that someone is your child. No parent should have to bury their child. For well over a decade, this couple raised their son and invested their time and wisdom. Let’s just say, this is a day I hope never comes for me.
In Birthday Cake, filmmaker Steven Mannino captures that moment when parents put everything on the line trying to figure out what happened, what they could have done differently, and even more biting, what their partner could have done better. The script is the star as Mannino explores issues that no parent wants to face alone, and Corinna Harney-Jones and Stu Chaiken give us devastating performances.
Birthday Cake is a haunting meditation on grief, guilt, and the fragile threads that hold a family together after loss. Steven Mannino crafts a raw and intimate portrait of two parents confronting the emotional wreckage left behind by their son’s death, forcing each other to face uncomfortable truths. With restrained performances and sharp dialogue, the film captures that unbearable moment when mourning turns into blame, and love becomes something to survive rather than celebrate.
"…No parent should have to bury their child."
