Luke Robertson Movies

Following up the acclaimed documentary Children of the Street, filmmaker Eva Aridjis made her narrative-feature debut with this bittersweet drama starring Frank Wood and Ryan Donowho. Wood plays Lawrence, a man who decides to take in Johnny (Donowho), the troubled teenaged son of his recently deceased high-school sweetheart. Twenty-five years ago, Caroline (Paige Turco) broke Lawrence's heart. These days, Lawrence is a single, middle-aged photographer leading a quiet life with his loyal canine companion in Bayonne, NJ. When Lawrence receives a surprise phone call from a recently divorced Caroline, romantic feelings are rekindled and his life suddenly takes on new meaning. Unfortunately, a life with Caroline wasn't in the cards for Lawrence, because shortly after the high-school sweethearts reconnect, Caroline dies in a sudden and tragic accident. Now, in order to prevent Carlone's troubled 16-year-old son, Johnny (Donowho), from being placed in foster care, Lawrence adopts the boy and tries his hardest to be a caring father. But Johnny wants nothing to do with Lawrence, instead choosing to follow in his biological father's footsteps by becoming a petty criminal and constructing an impenetrable wall of anger and silence. It seems that the only person capable of breaking through to Johnny is Mariana (Isidra Vega), a pretty neighborhood girl with whom the boy forms a warm bond. In time, Johnny begins to realize that Lawrence is a respectable role model and caring father figure who is willing to make the sacrifices needed for him to have a brighter future. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide

A shocking and tragic event causes the members of a quietly dysfunctional family to reexamine themselves and their lives in this drama. Ben and Sandy Travis (Jeff Daniels and Sigourney Weaver) are a couple whose troubled family begins to crumble when their eldest son, star college athlete Matt (Kip Pardue) commits suicide. Sandy's naturally cynical nature becomes all the more prickly, and while she tries to bond with her surviving teenaged son, Tim (Emile Hirsch), they seem closest when they discover a shared fondness for marijuana. Ben also tries to reach out to Tim, but the young man is never able to shake the feeling that he's never quite been the son his father wanted. Tim has a girlfriend, Steph (Suzanne Santo), but their relationship has been going through a rocky patch, and Tim finds himself questioning his feelings about women and men when his friendship with next-door neighbor Kyle (Ryan Donowho) evolves into something more intimate. Imaginary Heroes was written and directed by Dan Harris, best known for his work as a screenwriter on the blockbuster comic-book adaptation X-Men and projected remakes of Superman and Logan's Run. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide