Though it's being released in September, The Baltimorons might be the best holiday film of the year; you'll want to see it in theaters this week, then stream it from home again come December with a mug of cocoa and your tree sparkling in the background. While it may not rise to the bar set by true classics like It's a Wonderful Life, White Christmas or even Home Alone, the film (directed by Jay Duplass, who co-wrote the script with star Michael Strassner) is a charmer in every way, the type of grown-up independent film that relies on situations and relationships to draw us in and create connection.
Strassner, a big guy with an even bigger personality, is Cliff, a good guy getting by in Baltimore; it's Christmas morning and he and his fiancée are headed to her family's house for the holiday. To say he's not looking forward to it is an understatement, so fate intervenes and when Cliff stumbles on his way into the house, he injures his mouth badly enough that he's got to ditch the soon-to-be-in-laws and find a dentist, any dentist, who might be available for an emergency consult.
His search leads him to find Didi (Liz Larsen), who has a small practice nearby and who is on her own for the holiday as her grown daughter spends it with Didi's ex and his new wife. Why not be on call just in case? In their initial interactions, the 30-something Cliff does his best to charm the much older (and very not amused) Didi, mainly because that's what he always does, charms people and gets them on his side.
The Baltimorons gets off to a shaky start, as these early scenes are a bit uneven. The scenes in the dentist's office, for example, play oddly because it's glaringly obvious that Larsen has no idea what she's doing with all the various tools and whatnot. It's a small thing, but it's there. Also at work is the fact that we're just getting to know Cliff and Didi as they're first getting to know each other, an awkward phase however you slice it. Who are these people exactly, and why should we care?
Duplass and Strassner's script moves us through this awkwardness swiftly, however, and over the course of the film's 100 minutes finds ways to keep these two unlikely souls tethered together on a day when most people just want to be with those most familiar to them. First, it's that Cliff's car is towed while he's in Didi's dentist chair; Didi kindly offers to take him to the tow yard (where getting his car out on a holiday becomes a whole hilarious thing). But as the film progresses, it's clear that at a certain point these two are now choosing to spend their time together rather than being thrown unwittingly into it.
By the time Cliff convinces Didi to go to her ex's holiday party to see her daughter and grand-daughter, the film has hit its heartwarming stride. There's clearly a connection between these two, something that's possibly a bit more than friendship. Cliff is not just charming to Didi's family but he's kind to her in a difficult moment, a gesture that means as much to her as it says about his character. We learn about Cliff's drinking problem and his commitment to staying sober, as well as his ties to the local improv scene and the falling out that cost him that community. And it's all on a backdrop of winter coats and scarves, string lights and garland. For this Christmas-movie-loving gal, it's all a delightful bonus.
No holiday movie would be complete without a third-act nosedive and a triumphant resolution before the credits run. I won't spoil anything here, but suffice it to say that The Baltimorons understands this formula and approaches it in its own understated yet satisfying way. And this is the true draw of a film as original and endearing as this one—clear direction from Duplass, a knowing confidence from Strassner (both as writer and actor) and the unlikely but genuine chemistry between him and Larsen combine to create a film that's fresh and thoughtful and likely to be one revisited like so many others at the end of every year.
The Baltimorons opens Friday, September 12, at the Music Box Theatre. Filmmaker Jay Duplass and co-writer/star Michael Strassner will be in attendance for a post-film Q&A at the 7p screening.
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