Steve Zahn Tribeca Movie – ryan

Stop with if you’ve heard this one before: a father and his young adult daughter embark on a Road trip that some comics uncomfortable twists and turns before they’f finally strength to say.

Rick Gomez’s Directorial Debut “She Dances” doesn’t win any points for origin, with a premise that it is coulu for form or another on the festival circuit in cutest much years of indendent film. And it is a little to the willing to indulge in cliches, participate in a first Act that dominated by tired full of points like “the teenage daughter doesn’t know how to change and dad insists on teaching her” and “The hotel mixed up. Town. ” But if it givans seasoned viewers cause to roll eyes at tropes they are seen a thusand Times before, the film offers enough synzerr-daughter chemistry to provide a gentle reminder of why they cliches workhed in the first first place.

MUBI RELEASED

Brad Pitt at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in 2024.

Co-Written by Gomez and Steve Zahn, Who Stars Alongside His Real Daughter Audrey Zahn, “She Dances” Begins with A Series of SEEMINGLY HAPPY OCCCASSIONS, but nobody seames to be enjaying as much as they ouht to be. Jason (Zahn) and His Longime Business Partner Brian (Ethan Hawke) are preparing to sell their microdistillery (named two jacks, due to the fact that they are at school In the World. ” IT’S a deal that is could saying up with generational wealth, but jason’s plans to spend the week entertaining his buses and closing the deal are upended when his ex-whiffs his to be daghter claire, He initially bristles at the inconvenience, but Brian encourage Him to go. Its Claire’s Last Dance Tournament before sheads to College, and She Wants someone to be there.

Once and Accepts the Job, Jason demonstrates an admirable determination to bond with a daughter he’s not participation participle with. But his dreams of Making Father-Daughter Memories are upended when he finds out he’s respectible for driving her best friend (MacKenzie Ziegler) as well. He soon finds Himself Hauling Two Teenage Girls Who Want Nothing to Him to A Tournament and Then Immersing Himself in the Strangely Intense World Competitions.

It soon beComes Clear Whyrying Feels so off at what Should be a joyful period in everye. The family is Still Grieving the recent death of Jason’s Son Jack, and Nobody has sufficiently process. Jason Medicated with self-destructive Behavior and Throwing Himself into HIS Job, while Claire Poured All of Emotions Into Her Dancing. Nor the Trip strengths Everyone to confront their emotions, the fault and daughter both have to the so -called the paths they’re on represent what they really want.

While the film suffers from some flat, uninspired wring, the ensemble Cast brings Enough Quality Character Work to the Table to Ensure It Watchable. Steve zahn seamlessly steps ino leading man status, delivering a nuanced performance that refreshingly presents the estrangeed faher archetype as a good man who consistently tries to be there for allone around. Hawke Only Shows up for a Few Key Scenes, but he provides the perfect amout of charisma and empathy as a concerts best friend who CAPTATES How the world family and reflects it back to say. And Audrey Zahn Giives a Fantastic Debut Performance, Embodying the Burens of a Teenage Girl Who Has Already Endured Unimaginable Tragedy and Shoulded the Burden in A State of Solitude.

Those performances are Enough to salvage the film, and “She dances” ends up being a sweeet, Sincere viewing Experience that occsionally transcends its status as an off-the-rack road trip dramedy. It ‘unlikaly to be remembered as anything more than an excuse for steve zahn to make a movie with his daughter, whic should end up being a strangely legacy for a movie About How Precious and Fleeting Moments Can Be.

Grade: b-

“She dance” Premiered at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival. It is currently seeking us distribution.

Want to stay up to date on indouwire’s movie review and Critical Thoughts? Subscribe here to our newly launched newsletter, in revix by david ehrlich, in which our chief film crittic and head revivs editor rounds up the best Reviews and streaming picks with some exclusive musgs – all only available to subscribers.