All you need to know about The Samuel Project is that Hal Linden (“Barney Miller”) plays the title character, an 80-something San Diego dry cleaner. He leans into what could have been a Jewish caricature and turns Samuel into a rich portrayal of a man who has struggled to leave his past behind, guarding himself with wit and a veneer of bitterness.
The movie’s rather uncomplicated plot has Samuel’s grandson Eli (Disney Channel grad Ryan Ochoa) getting an assignment from his high school media class at about the same time Samuel drags him along to meet a dying woman the old man hasn’t seen since he was a boy during World War II. Eli, a budding animator, decides to make his grandfather’s untold story the subject of his project, the culmination of which is well worth waiting for.
The Samuel Project is hobbled by some student-film quality performances in lesser roles, but Ochoa holds his own as Eli. Along with the casually terrific Linden, the two elevate the well-meaning but predictable screenplay (co-written by director Marc Fusco) into a touching lesson about the importance of remembering.
Screens Thursday, March 28, at 7 p.m., and Friday, March 29, at 1 p.m. at the Fine Arts Theatre.
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.