July 13, 2012
Nate And Margaret
Robb C. Sewell READ TIME: 2 MIN.
"Nate and Margaret" tells the story of an unlikely friendship between two very different souls -- Nate, a shy college student and aspiring filmmaker, and fifty-something Margaret, a socially awkward coffee shop employee with dreams of breaking into stand-up comedy. Theirs is a friendship that is sweet and endearing, yet the butt of jokes from Nate's friends. It is a friendship that suffers immensely when Nate gets a boyfriend and as Margaret's stand-up career begins to blossom.
Headlining the cast are Tyler Ross as Nate and Natalie West as Margaret. Ross is charming as Nate, a young man whose friendship with fellow classmate Darla (Gaby Hoffmann of "Uncle Buck" and "Field of Dreams" fame) and romance with James (newcomer Conor McCahill) threatens Nate's friendship with Margaret. One cannot help but almost rejoice as Nate becomes entrenched in a romance with the sexy James yet only recoil to realize what a bad influence James is on the impressionable Nate.
West is outstanding and mesmerizing as Margaret, who deals with the ramifications of her psychological trauma and her mother's physical trauma through her at times uncomfortable stand-up routines. I have to admit that I was thoroughly captivated by West. Aside from her touching performance, West was so utterly familiar to me yet I couldn't place her face and voice. Afterward, I Googled her name and came across her most recognizable credit to date: for eight seasons, West portrayed Roseanne Connor's (actress Roseanne Barr) friend Crystal on the defunct ABC sitcom "Roseanne". How cool to see that West has blossomed into such a talented powerhouse actress, equally adept with both comedy and drama. Bravo!
Kudos to co-writers Nathan Adloff and Justin D.M. Palmer for creating a film that is both compelling and endearing, a triumphant story of a friendship that endures and thrives despite the obstacles. Be sure to catch "Nate and Margaret" as soon as you can. It will definitely help you to believe in the power, beauty, and magic of friendship.
Robb C. Sewell is a writer of fiction and nonfiction. His fiction has appeared in Toasted Cheese, Parlor, and Mississippi Crow. His novel excerpt, "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," was nominated for the prestigious Pushcart Prize. When not crafting new stories and characters, and pitching his play Breeding Ground, he enjoys spending time with his husband Eric and their cats Tabitha and Sciuto in their new home in Collingswood, NJ, and practicing yoga and breath therapy.
