Dean: Demetri Martin’s feature directorial debut focus on love, grief

Gillian Jacobs and Demetri Martin in DEAN to be released by CBS Films. Photo credit: Courtesy of CBS Films

Demetri Martin’s directorial debut, Dean, makes for a n interesting dramedy on love and grief as fans are likely to crowd into Wonder Woman this weekend.

The Daily Show alumnus, a veteran of stage specials, makes a movie that is he’s just wouldn’t be able to tell during a stand-up special.  It’s not a light comedy by any means as tragedy plays a big theme in the film.

Written and directed by Demetri Martin, Dean stars Martin alongside a cast that includes Kevin Kline, Gillian Jacobs, Mary Steenburgen, Reid Scott, Rory Scovel, Christine Woods, Ginger Gonzaga, Peter Scolari, and Briga Heelan.

This film is about a father and son, Robert and Dean, who are coming to terms with the passing of Robert’s wife/Dean’s mother.  As such, both love and death play heavily throughout the film.  Given the opening scene at the cemetery, one should realize that it won’t be an easy viewing to watch especially if it’s a film that they can relate to having lost a parent or other close loved one.

Dean un-proposes to his fiance, Michelle, and then refuses to take back the wedding ring.  When his best friend gets married, Dean gets distracted during the Best Man speech because of Michelle’s date to the wedding.

Meanwhile, Robert deals with the grief by deciding to sell the suburban house.  Dean is having a hard time with his mother’s death as well as the news of the house going on the market so he decides to leave Brooklyn to head to Los Angeles so that he can interview with an ad agency.  Dean is a published cartoon artists and Martin provides his own drawings.    As the two of them find their new normal on their own, they manage to find love as well–which gets in the way of their own plans but that goes without saying.

Dean finds love in LA but in typical comedy fashion, it’s just not meant to be.  Oh, well.  Robert finds new love in the form of his realtor but is still having a tough time with moving on from the passing of his wife.  Dean does end up going back to New York, where he tries to make it work once more with his dad.

Dean premiered at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival, where it won the Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature.  CBS Films opens Dean with a limited release in select theaters starting today.  In Chicago, Dean is playing at Landmark Century Centre Cinema.

Danielle Solzman

Danielle Solzman is native of Louisville, KY, and holds a BA in Public Relations from Northern Kentucky University and a MA in Media Communications from Webster University. She roots for her beloved Kentucky Wildcats, St. Louis Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts, and Boston Celtics. Living less than a mile away from Wrigley Field in Chicago, she is an active reader (sports/entertainment/history/biographies/select fiction) and involved with the Chicago improv scene. She also sees many movies and reviews them. She has previously written for Redbird Rants, Wildcat Blue Nation, and Hidden Remote/Flicksided. From April 2016 through May 2017, her film reviews can be found on Creators.

Leave a Reply