‘Tumbledown’ (2015)
While I impatiently await Ted Lasso‘s return, I’m getting my Jason Sudeikis fix by watching his lesser-known films like Tumbledown. The 2015 indie rom-com from husband and wife Sean Mewshaw and Desiree Van Til follows Hannah (Rebecca Hall), the grieving widow of folk singer Hunter Miles. When Hofstra professor Andrew McCabe (Sudeikis) rolls into Hannah’s small Maine town in hopes of writing a book about her late husband, she angrily turns him away. But after struggling to tell Hunter’s story herself, she enlists McCabe’s expertise to help her pen his biography. Fans of Before Sunrise will find comfort in Tumbledown‘s appreciation of simple, yet profoundly deep, character connections. Though the film has its lighter moments, much like Ted Lasso, it shows a softer, more thoughtful side to Sudeikis. We spend most of our time with him and Hall, but a delightful supporting cast includes Dianna Agron, Joe Manganiello, Griffin Dunne, and Blythe Danner. While the film’s ending feels a bit cliché and rushed, Tumbledown remains a touching tale of love, loss, and letting yourself move forward.