Read Time:2 Minute, 15 Second
When you become a parent, your whole life changes—not just your sleep patterns. Suddenly, you have another person depending on you and looking up to you—and it changes your lifestyle and your priorities. And that causes the troubled dad in the Australian drama West of Sunshine to reconsider his choices.
West of Sunshine follows Jim (Damian Hill) in his attempt to pay off some loans before his time runs out. Jim’s gambling problem has gotten him in over his head, and he has just one last day to pay up. He has a few ideas, but none of them involve his young son, Alex (Ty Perham), who has to join him for the day. Between his regular courier deliveries and his quest to get some money—fast—he finds himself racing against the clock, making some difficult decisions for himself and his son.
It doesn’t take long to figure out that Jim is a mess. He’s racing to work when he’s reminded that he’s supposed to be spending the day with his son—and Alex’s mom is quick to point out how much money he’s either lost to gambling or spent on his beloved classic car. He’s irresponsible, and his choices and compulsions have gotten him into some serious trouble.
But this isn’t just another race-against-time kind of movie, with an aimless troublemaker trying to get his hands on some cash before it’s too late. Admittedly, the race doesn’t feel as frantic as it should. But there’s more to the story—because this aimless troublemaker has to get the money while also being a dad. He has to watch out for Alex and keep him entertained throughout the day. But, at the same time, he also realizes that he needs to step up and be a better person for his son.
Jim goes through a whole lot of emotions throughout the day, and Hill captures them all: the conflict, the fear, the hope, the heartbreak, the defiance, and—most of all—the sheer desperation that Jim feels as he begs, pleads, and resorts to desperate measures to pay back his debts. He wrestles with how to handle his son—and what kind of man he wants to be for his son. And that causes him to make some important decisions before the end of the day.
West of Sunshine isn’t a gripping, fast-paced kind of adventure. It’s more family drama than the crime thriller it seems to promise. But it’s a thoughtful and well-acted story about what it means to be a father.
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Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.
Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.
As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).
Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.
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Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.
Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.
As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).
Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.
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