Bookends

After a devastating breakup, Nate has no choice but to retreat from the city to his grandparents’ Jewish retirement community, where he hopes to finally finish his novel and find some sense of renewed purpose. Somewhere between stumbling through “oy vey karate” class and receiving tough love from his caring (and meddling) no-nonsense grandparents, Nate finds himself shedding his jaded exterior and allowing this new environment to help him find creative inspiration, greater familial connection, and even new romance.  Writer and lead actor Noam Ash infuses this charming dramedy with a sharp sarcastic wit. Rounding out the exceptional cast are F. Murray Abraham and Caroline Aaron as the grandparents, equal parts hilarious and moving in their nuanced depictions of aging. And Charlie Barnett is warm and magnetic as Nate’s love interest. Together, under Mike Doyle’s deft direction, this delightful ensemble reminds us of the power of building strong intergenerational relationships and holding onto our sense of humor through life’s ups and downs. —Celeste Wong

Mike Doyle is a writer, director, producer, and actor whose work spans film, television, and stage. His feature directorial debut Sell By (2019), which premiered at Inside Out Toronto, won awards for Best Feature, Best Screenplay, and Best Director on the festival circuit and was later released on Netflix as Almost Love. His second feature, Passing Through (2023), premiered at the Torino Lovers Film Festival and is available on major platforms. Doyle’s earlier work includes the Tribeca-premiering short Shiner, as well as Clementine, Variations, and The Chase. He is executive producing and writing the series Todo Por Amor and co-creating a series in development at Netflix. An established actor, he has appeared in films by Clint Eastwood, Karyn Kusama, Richard LaGravenese, Nancy Savoca, and Martin Campbell, and on television in Fallout, New Amsterdam, and City on a Hill.