Midweek Mention... Nutcrackers

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This week, the Dads are stepping into the unpredictable world of Nutcrackers (2024), a heartfelt comedy-drama directed by David Gordon Green, written by Leland Douglas, and starring Ben Stiller in a role that perfectly balances hilarity and humanity. Premiering as the opening film of the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, this story brings us face-to-face with the complexities of parenthood—just the kind of territory we’ve learned to navigate (or at least attempt to) in our own lives.

Nutcrackers follows Mike Maxwell (Ben Stiller), a city-dwelling deal-closer who’s uprooted and dropped straight into rural Ohio to care for his four unruly nephews after a family tragedy. As these kids—Justice, Junior, Samuel, and Simon Kicklighter—challenge his patience and assumptions at every turn, we watch Mike stumble through makeshift fatherhood against a backdrop of muddy farmland, eccentric neighbours, and a daring attempt at staging a reimagined version of The Nutcracker ballet.

In this episode, we’ll dig into how the film uses humour to explore the push and pull between personal ambition and family obligation. We’ll unpack the way the narrative nudges us to reconsider what it means to take responsibility for the next generation, and how making room for one another’s quirks and shortcomings can forge unbreakable bonds. It’s a movie that resonates on a deeply personal level for us as Dads—there’s a genuine honesty in how it portrays the messiness of stepping into a parental role, especially when it’s least expected.

Join us as we talk about the film’s bold blend of slapstick and sincerity, and how it manages to bring ballet, big city scepticism, and rural rowdiness under one roof. Nutcrackers (2024) is a holiday season surprise that reminds us: sometimes, to find your footing as a parent, you’ve got to learn a few new dance steps along the way.

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Until next time, we remain...

Bad Dads