The Favor

Lawrence (Wood) is a character type beloved of indie filmmakers: the shut-down man. In his midforties, he leads a life that embodies quiet desperation. When his high-school girlfriend (Turco) calls out of the blue, it looks like things might get interesting. Whoops. She dies in a freak accident, and Lawrence takes in her teen son, Johnny (Donowho), to save him from foster care. Shut-down man and grieving teenage rebel must heal each other. Writer-director Eva Aridjis has a flat style that’s frankly numbing; Wood tries valiantly, but he and Donowho are both dragged down by the script.