Wakefield (2016)

My Review

“Wakefield” is a drama film about an attorney who one day decides to vanish, leaving his wife and two teenage daughters wondering what happened. They had no idea that he was hiding in the attic above their garage, which has a bird’s eye view of the goings on in the house.

This improbable and implausible premise is surprisingly easy to buy into thanks to smooth direction by Robin Swicord, who also wrote the lucid screenplay. This was her directorial debut. *Spoiler Alert:* However, the storyline suffered a major failure due to the unresolved ending. It was adapted from the 2008 short story by E. L. Doctorow.

The cast delivered good performances include Bryan Cranston in the title role, Jennifer Garner as his wife, Beverly D’Angelo as her mother, Ellery Sprayberry and Victoria Bruno as the daughters, Jason O’Mara as a friend of the family, Ian Anthony Dale as a fellow attorney, and Tracey Walter as a homeless man. “Wakefield” was a box office bomb in art house cinemas for Mockingbird Pictures and IFC Films. It was filmed in Pasadena, California.