Harmony and Me

USA, 2009, 75 Minute Running Time
Genre/Subjects: Black Comedy, Comedy, Coming of Age, Family Issues, Romance
Language: English

MUST END February 25
Winner! Starz People's Choice Award - Best Feature Film - SDFF 32
Writer/Director Bob Byington IN-PERSON February 13 for a special post film discussion and party (also appearing at various shows Feb 14)!

The Denver Film Society and Donnybrook Writing Academy have joined forces to bring you HARMONY AND ME (And You) Saturday, February 13th: Celebrate (or uncelebrate) Valentine's Day by having a date with Harmony and Me. The film will be followed with a Q&A with director Bob Byington, a dance party/reception in Gallery 30 with cupcakes, drinks, a raffle w/ prizes related to the film, Donnybrook DJs, and most of all, witty conversation.

The purchase of a ticket ($15 general/ $12 members) to the 7:15 showing will include the Director Q & A as well as access to the exclusive party following. Father Guido Sarducci IV, resident podcaster and frequent blogger at the Donnybrook Writing Academy, will be DJing.

Digital presentation - Rough-hewn and heartfelt, the latest shoestring comedy from writer/director Bob Byington (RSO: Registered Sex Offender) chronicles the woes of Harmony, a mopey 30-year-old (Justin Rice, best known as the lead singer of alt-rock band Bishop Allen) who’s torn up after his girlfriend Jessica (Kristen Tucker, who also coproduces) dumps him. He seeks solace among his laconic slacker friends (indie vets Kevin Corrigan, Pat Healy, and Alex Karpovsky of Woodpecker, SDFF 31), who cheer him up with deadpan jokes about pedophilia and sexual dysfunction – although he gets no such sympathy from Mom, whose wisdom on searching for a new soulmate inheres in nuggets like “find one who moves her arms and legs.”
Byington's 75-minute slice-of-strife shares some of the cinematic sensibilities associated with the city it was shot in – Austin, Texas – what with its lo-fi digital look, its seemingly random (and highly engaging) streams of dialogue, and its sweet-and-sour view of romance. Rice’s performance as the down-in-the-mouth title character is winning (as were his turns in other low-budget charmers like Funny Ha Ha and Mutual Appreciation, SDFF 28), so in the end we’re all rooting for Harmony – and what has to pass as his redemption.

DIRECTOR: Bob Byington
Producer: Kristen Tucker, Anish Savjani (exec), Stuart Bohart (exec)
Editor: Frank Ross, Jacob Vaughan
Screenwriter: Bob Byington
Cinematographer: Jim Eastburn
Principal Cast: Justin Rice, Kevin Corrigan, Pat Healy, Alex Karpovsky, Kristen Tucker, Bob Byington, Jerm Pollet, Allison Latta, Margie Beegle, Keith Poulson, Bob Schneider
US Distributor: Film Science