EXPECT DELAYS

Director & Writer Dan Steadman has created a Christmas film that will not only pull at every heart string you have, but hit a funny bone or two along the way too with his latest film – EXPECT DELAYS!

As meet the pretentious and self-righteous Alec (played by Producer of the film too – Ted Trent), he is returning home for his least favorite family gathering every year – Christmas. The only thing keeping him in his pursuit is the fact that his son Chad (Nicolas Gianini) is coming home from College to join him.

Busily slaving away in the kitchen, like all mothers do when the holidays are upon us, Barb (Andra Harkins) is happy and content, making sure all those “family traditions” are continuing, while her husband Donald (Wayne Ault) makes sure that anything his wife needs – she gets ☺

As the rest of Alec’s siblings start to arrive, including his self-loathing sister Leigh Ann (Wendy Shapero) and her significant other Moose (Antonio St. James), his brother Travis (John Launius), and his younger brother Ben (Keith Nussbaum) and his beautiful wife Amber (Jessica Ambuehl), they are all settling in to enjoy a comfy cozy Christmas like they do each and every year…yeah right…we all know what Christmas’s and family togetherness is like!

Even Uncle Heath (Bill Conklin) can’t miss a chance to catch up with his kinfolk, so he joins in on all this family festivities too! Alec can’t take all this togetherness for one second longer, as the dysfunction is mounding by leaps and bounds, so he and Leigh Ann head downtown for some shopping – and air – when he happens upon an old friend from his childhood, Arlene (played by American Movie Award winning actress Cooper Shaw), who manages to bring to light Alec’s mean spirited past – as Alec finds that everyone is bringing to light his faults – well what else brings more holiday cheer, than everyone pointing a finger in your direction!

Can this family ever pull themselves together long enough to figure out a way to enjoy one another’s company, if even just for a little while???

I give EXPECT DELAYS an A: I was totally taken in by a family that reminded me of my own, in sooooo many ways. Steadman has created an adult Christmas movie that viewers can find a little part of themselves, or someone they know, in each and every character throughout this film. Once again too, Steadman brings to light societal issues within the story lines of his film, but in a way that makes them relevant and accessible to the masses through mainstream cinema. And even though you may catch some references to an early film by Ted Trent Studios and Circa 87 called BELLEVILLE – which has been renamed NEILA, and maybe a character or two too, you will find EXPECT DELAYS totally refreshing and genuine in every sense of the word. This film will take you on a roller-coaster ride of emotions, but by the time you get to the last frame, you will want to be a part of this heartwarming, comedic and endearing family of real people, living real lives, the best way they know how.

Sadly, EXPECT DELAYS is in limited release, so please visit expectdelaysmovie.com for ticket information and show times.

Kathy Kaiser