‘Be Good’ to Get Fest Premiere at Midwest Independent Film Festival

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Rating: 4.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Possibly one of the most perplexing times of life is the aftermath of the couple having their first child. The anticipation and joy quickly morphs into the reality of lifelong responsibility and care. Writer/Director Todd Looby captures that reality succinctly in his latest film, “Be Good.”

This independent feature is beautifully composed and more importantly, expansive. Looby uses the neighborhoods, parks and public transportation systems of Chicago to full measure, giving the story of a mother going back to work, and leaving a six month year old child in her husband’s care, a broader scope than imagined from such a description. There is a light touch in the story, as to the normalcy and odd quirks that happen when lives of the parents become irreversibly altered in caring for a baby. It’s a tale as old as humankind itself, but Looby gives it a spin that makes it compelling and empathetic. The film gets its fest premiere at the Midwest Independent Film Festival in Chicago on Tuesday, February 5th.

Paul (Thomas J. Madden) and Mary (Amy Seimetz) have welcomed their first child, a daughter named Pearl (portrayed by Todd Looby’s real-life daughter, Tessa). The six month maternity leave has ended for Mary, and she reluctantly goes back to the office, leaving the baby with Paul, an independent filmmaker working on a screenplay adaptation. Mary experiences the separation acutely, especially when she has to discreetly pump breast milk in the company storage room.

Mary (Amy Seimetz), Pearl (Tessa Looby) and Paul (Thomas Madden) in ‘Be Good’ Photo credit: ObrigadoProductions.com

Meanwhile it seems that Paul has nothing but guilt, as his daughter refuses to sleep during either the night or day. Exhausted and under tremendous pressure to finish the screenplay, Paul’s affable personality begins to burn out. It’s not helped by his flighty friend T.J.(Todd Looby), who has the summer off, and tempts Paul to the park on a daily basis. An important film festival is in the offing, and Mary is expressing her desire to stay home as well, so the pressures of the first year of their child’s life is bearing down on them.

The film is blessedly honest and without an over-sentimentality, meaning that it feels real. The lead actors are perfect, as ordinary as any twentysomething couple you’d meet, with the survival techniques and insecurities in the situation that are recognizable. Thomas J. Madden as Paul goes through the most anxiety as his child’s main caregiver, and goes from proud father to angry and unsure. Amy Seimetz, who was in two films that opened at Sundance recently, surely projects the emotions of the mother/child bond.

Todd Looby is an independent filmmaker, and said in an interview with HollywoodChicago.com that the concept was based on his own experiences and the experiences of his fellow new parent travelers. The autobiographical nature is evident, especially in the frustrations of the almost always broke struggling artist. The everyday elements of baby care, the diaper changing, bathing, constant surveillance and true joy is all on the screen…and director Looby even winks at the camera portraying a slacker named T.J., becoming the character that observes it all and ultimately participates.

When watching independent film, what becomes the most important – as opposed to mainstream films – is how the director composes the story, given the confines of budget and location, and how that atmosphere flows within the narrative. Looby does an amazing job in both categories. His composition is flawless, and he creates a flow in editing that has no jarring effects, effectively using a fade to black between scenes that creates smooth transitions. He also is a master of sound. The ticking of computer keys, the sound of a breast pump and a sudden noise in a storage closet generates tension and yes, even desperation.

Paul Contemplates His Future in ‘Be Good’ Photo credit: ObrigadoProductions.com

And since the film is locally produced in Chicago, the “city of neighborhoods” gets some location work that is literally outside “The Loop.” Looby takes us where he lives, among the Chicago river views on the north side, the endless pattern of apartment buildings and bungalows, and the luxurious parks. This expansion is well appointed to those familiar with the environs, and Chicago looks just as good from there as showing Wrigley Field.

There are two Loobys in the film, Todd and his daughter Tessa, portraying a life that father Todd has made up for them. As the story unreels and the screen lights up, what is reflected back to them is also what life is about.

By PATRICK McDONALD Senior Staff Writer HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com