As the first string of lies started to unwind, I was starting to get leery of The Dinner Parting. Let’s face it, this is a well-worn sitcom plot. But as soon as Albert joined the mix of tall tales, I was hooked. The comedy device is simple. Our protagonists are desperately trying to keep lie after lie after lie after lie in the air like a hundred spinning plates. The fun is in watching the trio keep their delicate fables afloat. Susan is the one who urges Henry to keep the stories simple, but he has an ego to protect, and his accounts exist only to impress Kristen.
When Albert arrives, he’s up for the duo’s contest and wants in on the fun with a game of one-ups-manship. However, when all the guests show up, they start to question the inconsistencies, which only emboldens the now rivals, Henry and Albert, as their tall tales only get more insane. Eventually, the house of cards has to fall, and it happens in an oh-so-satisfying and unexpectedly clever way.
“…doesn’t work without the performances of William Sterling, Rachel Paulson, and Phillip Andre Botello.”
The Dinner Parting works thanks to a brilliant script by Luke Allen Hackney and director J.W. Andrew. Many writers go wrong because they aim for wacky and write weird dialogue for its own sake. Yes, this does get wacky, but a lie is rarely wasted. Like a never-ending improv sketch, every bit of information offered must be accepted as truth by our leads and cannot be denied. Hackney and Andrew then escalate the hell out of everything for the sake of rivalry, and when the bubble bursts, there’s an escape plan to take this story to another level.
The story also doesn’t work without the performances of William Sterling, Rachel Paulson, and Phillip Andre Botello. Each one created very distinct characters, and there are reasons they have to lie and reasons they must maintain each and every lie. You see their commitment to the gag, and they stick the landing beautifully in the end.
The Dinner Parting is a well-executed comedy, which quite frankly is almost impossible to do in indie film. Yes, the film is mostly talking, but it’s hilarious and a clever take on a well-worn comedy trope.
For screening information, visit The Dinner Parting and Arts and Cults website.
The Dinner Parting screens at the 2022 Cinequest Film Festival.
"…works thanks to a brilliant script..."
