The call sheet for The Swimming Lesson is filling up fast. Lamorne Morris and Abby Elliott are the latest additions to the upcoming indie film. They join previously announced leads Heidi Gardner and William H. Macy.
The project is Casey Twenter’s solo feature directorial debut. Twenter co-wrote the script alongside Jeff Robison. That pairing matters. The two writers previously collaborated on the 2014 music-driven film Rudderless, a movie Macy himself directed. Now, they are reuniting under a slightly different arrangement.
The core of the story belongs to Gardner. She plays Tay, a directionless single mother who bails on a complicated existence in Los Angeles to retreat to her childhood home in Kansas City. Things do not get easier there. Tay finds herself fighting a tense custody battle over her autistic son, Albee. And she has to manage an ex-boyfriend who is currently recovering from drug addiction.
Macy steps in as Leonard, Tay’s foul-mouthed but fiercely loyal father. Meanwhile, actors Michael Strassner and Joey Bicicchi are also coming aboard to flesh out the ensemble, according to the exclusive casting announcement published recently.
The Verdict
Keep an eye on this one. Gardner usually shines in sketch comedy, so handing her a heavy, grounded role opposite a veteran like Macy is a smart bet. Adding Morris and Elliott into the mix guarantees the film will have the comedic chops to balance out the heavier custody and addiction themes. If you enjoy character-driven indies that blend family dysfunction with sharp humor, put The Swimming Lesson on your watchlist.