Review of the film ‘Bucky F*cking Dent’ (2023)

This story happens in the 1970s in the USA. Ted, an aspirant writer and only son, learns that his estranged, widowed father Marty is terminally ill. Being his only relative, Ted moves in and takes care of Marty with the help of Mariana, a nurse specialized in terminal patients. The contact between father and son makes the reasons that tore them apart to eventually surface. Baseball plays an important part in the story, for Marty is a hardcore fan of the Red Sox.

The script shows ordinary, relatable characters dealing with their feelings. The dialogues are brilliant, exploring the frustrations of an entire life, including the Red Sox’s unfulfilled expectations. Drama is intertwined with comedy, with many humorous dialogues.

Duchovny’s direction is right for both drama and comedy scenes. The rhythm is right, balancing the dramatic moments and the comedic ones, resulting in an easily watchable film that feels to be short in spite of its 105 minutes.

The production level is not a big one, with most scenes happening in interiors, leaving the feeling that there should be more scenes in public spaces and more characters in the hospital scenes.

As for the acting, Duchovny shines with a brilliant performance of the ill father and Logan Marshall-Green makes a solid performance of Ted. Stepanie Beatriz’s performance of the nurse is somehow shallow sometimes, but overall it is good. Of the lesser characters, the most outstanding is Daphne Rubin-Vega with a short but intense performance.

All in all, an excellent drama balanced with comedy. 4 out of 5.

Title:	Bucky F*cking Dent
Genre:	Drama
Year:	2023
Nationality:	United States
Colour:	Colour
Director:	David Duchovny
Writer:	David Duchovny
Cast:	Stephanie Beatriz, Pamela Adlon, Logan Marshall-Green, David Duchovny, Jason Beghe, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Evan Handler, Benny Mora, Ralph Rodriguez, Kathiamarice Lopez, Santo Fazio, Johary Ramos, Marcos A. Gonzalez, Charlie Sara, Brad Davidson, Liam Garten, Colin Cosell
Producer:	Jordan Beckerman, David Duchovny, Jordan Yale Levine
Co-producer:	Jon Keeyes
Executive producer:	Nicholas Donnermeyer, Kurt Ebner, Patrick Heaphy, Will Hirschfeld, Jason Kringstein, Scott Levenson, David Nazar, Clay Pecorin, Michael J. Rothstein, Anne B. Ruden, Gregory Ruden, Jeffrey Tussi
Production designer:	Luke Carr
Cinematographer:	Jeff Powers
Art Director:	Martin Isenberg
Costume Designer:	Lou Schad
Music:	Vincent Jones
Running time:	105 minutes
Language:	English, Spanish