TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL 2021 REVIEW! Stories about friendships are hard to pull off without giving off a heavy Lifetime or Hallmark vibe. Nicole Rodenburg and Colin Froeber’s Glob Lessons takes a lite look at friendship but pulls it off with depth and sweetness you rarely find in typical road buddy movies.
Alan (Colin Froeber) and Jessie (Nicole Rodenburg) are traveling actors on a two-person tour of the wintery Midwest. They visit elementary schools and library putting on plays like A Christmas Carol and Robin Hood for little to no audience at each stop. The defeated and frustrated Alan thinks it’s Jessie’s lackluster commitment to the material.
Glob Lessons is the story of an unlikely and forced friendship. The two must be together 24/7—sharing the same room, riding in the same car, and setting up/tearing down their stage. Since Alan is gay, romance is not an option. Speaking of Alan, his sole focus on this trip is on doing the work, and Jessie is a necessary inconvenience. On the other hand, Jessie will go nuts if Alan doesn’t talk to her like a normal human being.
As Alan and Jessie get to know one another, their relationship slowly brews into a true friendship. The pair soon find their passion for acting once again, which completely transformed their performances. This new energy on stage inspires children, and their audience grows…end of first act.
“The pair soon find their passion for acting once again…”
I love the fact that Glob Lessons doesn’t end there but keeps going as the company they work for, Globe Trotters Theatrical, is being sued by the Harlem Globetrotters. The friendship between our duo is tested even further as each discovers/uncovers a personal pain in their lives that only the other can fix.
Glob Lessons is listed as a comedy, and I think that’s unfair. It’s fun but has very few laugh-out-loud moments…which is a positive. Glob Lessons is a sweet drama that will hit everyone’s buttons, addressing our insecurities, dreams…and after a global pandemic…it reinforces the fact that we are social beings, never meant to be isolated.
Lead actors Nicole Rodenburg and Colin Froeber are masterful at navigating this character/relationship arc from start to finish. As Alan, Colin Froeber gets the shy, introverted actor down perfectly. Their chemistry is undeniable, and the motel scene is the most awkward and heartfelt moment between two nude actors. Great story, great script, and two great performances, Glob Lessons screams independent filmmaking with all the charm that can only come from independent filmmakers.
Glob Lessons screened at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival.
"…depth and sweetness you rarely find in typical road buddy movies."
