Any Day Now

ANY DAY NOW

Director : Travis Fine

Year : 2013

Genre : Drama

Rating : ***1/2

Despite it's televisual aesthetics and it's predictable narrative arc, 'Any Day Now' is a touching and beautifully acted piece of cinema from writer - turned director Travis Fine. Telling the story of a gay couple who try to adopt a disabled child in the 1970's, 'Any Day Now' touches on a subject matter that is as relevant and as current as the date in which the film is actually set. Starring Alan Cummings, Garret Dillahunt and Gregg Henry, the film is cast very well indeed and despite the fact that the movie may have the style of a made - for - TV picture, 'Any Day Now' is elevated beyond it's most basic points due to the brilliant acting on show and a career best performance from Alan Cummings.

Cummings plays Rudy, a flamboyant homosexual who is a drag performer in a cheap gay bar in New York City. Despite his good nature and kind heart, he is a struggling musician and completely bankrupt individual who faces eviction from his stern landlord. But after falling head over high heels in love with Paul,  a local closeted lawyer played by Garret Dillahunt, his life suddenly seems to change and Rudy finally seems to have found happiness and stability. However when his next door neighbour, a heroin addicted mother abandons her young Downes Syndrome afflicted son one night, his fathering instincts begin to kick in and soon Rudy and Paul begin a desperate legal battle to gain custody of the poor boy and prove to the homophobic legal system that two gay men are perfectly capable of raising a disabled child. 

Telling a rather conventional 'issues' story, 'Any Day Now' leaves very little room for surprises and due to the way in which the plot is constructed and the way in which the archetypes on screen are portrayed, the conclusions are predictable and rather generic. However, thanks to the intimate direction by Fine and the Nyman-esque score by Joey Newman (nephew of Randy), 'Any Day Now' does a very good job of generated emotion and putting us into each characters frame of mind. It is clear that the film's heart is in the right place and despite the various 'antagonists' and obstacles placed in front of our two main characters, the overall tone of 'Any Day Now' is generally optimistic. Not afraid to show the inner workings of the homosexual community, Fine surrounds us in camp humour, homosexual archetypes and the conventional naivety that is common in movies of this type. However while the characters may be archetypal, they certainly aren't the limp wristed caricatures that populate the comedy and horror genres and Fine does a very good job of giving us three dimensional people who have emotions and feelings; rather than the very dated and stereotypical 'queen' types that are so common in our culture.

Alan Cummings in hauntingly brilliant as the central lead who is desperate to fight for what is right despite the huge obstacles blocking his path. Not afraid to hide his blatant homosexuality, we get the impression that he has been met with vitriolic criticism from the homophobes that have surrounded him all of his life and for the most part, he has taken it on the chin; but not when his lifestyle is being scrutinised in court. It is clear that theis child means the world to him and that he would do absolutely anything to make sure that he is safe and loved. Being gay himself, Cummings does a fantastic job of portraying a flamboyant diva without ever pushing his character into parce or stereotype. Garret Dillahunt is also very good as the lawyer who is willing to fight his own case in court to make sure that the disabled child will be given a good home and his relationship with Rudy is portrayed in a loving and realistic way. However while his performance is good, he is completely overshadowed by Cummings astonishing bravura acting abilities.

As mentioned earlier, the rest of the cast play the basic archetypes we see in any story of this kind; there are the out and out homophobes, those who have no problem with the situation and those in between who can see both sides of the argument. Unfortunately, the characters are painted black and white so we know almost immediately from their first lines or their body language how their part will be integrated into the narrative. But while this would prove to be a problem for many other productions, 'Any Day Now' manages to overcome these basic archetypal conventions through great performances and a moving plot. While not really anything special, 'Any Day Now' should definetly be watched for Alan Cummings fantastic (and potentially Oscar winning) performance, Travis Fine's adept direction and a plot that will touch your hearts and open your eyes.