Aahana Swrup
‘Father Figures’ is a 2017 comedy-drama film that revolves around two brothers who embark on a road trip to track down their real father. Helen’s sons, fraternal twins Kyle and Peter Reynolds, had always believed their father died when they were young. However, at their mother’s wedding, the two adults make a startling discovery when they realize that their mother has been lying to them this entire time. As it turns out, Helen has no recollection of who the father of her sons could be due to her wild, youthful days. As such, with a few possible suspects on their list, Kyle and Peter set out on a journey to find their biological father—and learn a few lessons along the way.
The film, directed by Lawrence Sher, offers a compelling balance between comic hijinks and grounded characterizations. Thus, the story allows audiences to enjoy the chaotic misadventures between the central brothers while also finding points of relatability in their narrative.
Father Figures: The Spec Script About Brothers That Started it All
‘Father Figures’ is entirely a fictional story with little to no basis in real life. Initially, the project started out as a comedy spec script written by Justin Malen under the title ‘Bastards.’ Even during its earliest days, the story revolved around two adult brothers on a journey to find their biological father. After the production companies came on board, Lawrence Sher—yet only known for his work as a Cinematographer and Director of Photography—became attached to the project. From the beginning, Sher was attracted to the film as his directorial debut due to the appealing blend of comedy and reality that the narrative presented.
The film chronicles a number of outlandish instances that define Kyle and Peter’s quest to find their father, including NFL players, near-death accidents, and life-shattering discoveries made through an episode of ‘Law & Order.’ Naturally, these aspects of their storylines contribute to comically engaging the viewers. Even so, despite its genre, the film also strives to establish sentimental and grounded realism. Kyle and Peter’s natural chemistry as brothers—perpetually at odds but infinitely fond of each other—significantly plays a part in this.
Consequently, the story carries a relatable heart through themes of brotherhood, family, and a sense of belonging. Doing so strengthens the authenticity and relatability of the characters without sacrificing their genre-appropriate humor. As such, through a universally resonant storyline, ‘Father Figures’ manages to chart a tale that feels grounded in reality. Nonetheless, without much real-life inspiration behind it, the film remains a work of fiction.
Lawrence Sher Added Some of His Own Real-Life Anecdotes Into The Film
For his directorial debut, filmmaker Lawrence Sher wanted to ensure ‘Father Figures’ wasn’t a simple comedy without any substance behind it. For the same reason, he was attracted to the film’s central dynamic between Peter and Kyle. He emphasized the significance of this dynamic in a conversation with Vulture. “It was important to me to have something grounded, something real. It was something that felt emotionally real,” shared filmmaker Sher while discussing the film.
Sher further added, “In fact, to me, those are the things that make it feel funnier because you’re sort of in a place that feels familiar and real, and suddenly, when something outrageous happens, you can allow yourself to have more outrageous things happen – as opposed to something that already feels fantastical, well you expect those things.” Furthermore, in order to infuse more of this familiarity and reality into the story, the filmmaker even included a story from his real life in the on-screen narrative.
At one point in the film, Peter and Kyle nearly get in a train crash that jolts them to their sense and allows them to recognize the other’s importance in their lives. The scene walks a precarious line between dramatic and comedic, perfectly encapsulating this story’s center. As it turns out, this instance was actually inspired by a real-life incident. Sher’s twin brother and his family once got in a near-accident with a train under circumstances that varied from Peter and Kyle’s experiences.
Ultimately, Sher’s brother and his family walked away from the event well and unscathed. However, it gave the filmmaker the inspiration to use a similar instance in his film to combine tragedy with humor to unearth a particular emotional catharsis. As such, in some ways, parts of reality ended up inevitably inspiring parts of the on-screen storyline. While this doesn’t take away from the film’s fictionality, it adds a layer of real-life connection to it.
Read More: Best Father-Son Movies on Netflix
