In Theaters and On Demand July 22nd.

From FilmBuff: Struggling photographer Robert (Magaro) and his philandering father Harry (McDonald) realize that they each had a one-night stand with the same woman, Sara-Beth (Walker), in the same week. Years later, they realize that either one of them might be the biological father of her adorable four-year-old daughter. They begrudgingly agree to share fatherly duties while awaiting a paternity test.

Starring
John Magaro (Carol, The Big Short, Woody Allen’s Upcoming Series)
Chris McDonald  (Happy Gilmore, Thelma and Louise)
Dreama Walker (CBS’s The Good Wife)
Tom Lipinski (USA Network’s Suits)
&
Talia Balsam (No Strings Attached, AMC’s Mad Men)

Written & Directed By
Julian Branciforte

This transcript has been lightly edited:

The Referee: Well, there, listeners. We have a Sneak Peek for you.

The Critic: Really? Another one?

Ref: Another one. This time it’s “Don’t Worry Baby,” which is in theaters and On Demand this Friday, July 22. And …

Critic: (sings) “Don’t worry baby.”

Ref: (laughs) And, it’s written and directed by — I’m going to mess up your name, sir, sorry — (in Italian accent) Julian Branciforte.

Critic: Yeah!

Ref: That’s the Italian version. … He wrote it and directed it. He’s …

Critic: Are you from Italy? Where you from?

Ref: Mamma mia! (laughter) But, basically, this is, you know, his feature-film debut …

Critic: Yeah.

Ref: … because he’s done a couple shorts before. But, it has a stellar cast. I’m talking about John Magaro, Christopher McDonald, Dreama Walker, Tom Lipinski, and the wonderful Talia Balsam.

Critic: Yes.

Ref: All right. And, the reason why I say “the wonderful” is because we’ll talk a little bit about her. You definitely know who this cast is, among others. So, give us the plot, and we’ll dive right into it, Critic.

Critic: I’m always giving the plots, aren’t I?

Ref: You know what?

Critic: Let me tell the listeners: Look, I got a lot of stories in my head! (laughter)

Ref: I’ll start it off.

Critic: No, no, no. I’m going to do it.

Ref: Oh, gosh. There he goes.

Critic: Don’t try to steal my thunder! Now, look, everybody, here’s what happens. And, here’s the question after I tell you this: Should someone be worried or not? (laughing) OK, ‘cause the title is “Don’t Worry Baby”: Wait a minute. So, we have a father and son and a mother. So, let’s just start with them.

Ref: Oh, boy.

Critic: The son, played by John Magaro — by the way, John Magaro, everyone, you may have seen him in “Orange Is the New Black” lately …

Ref: “The Good Wife” …

Critic: … “The Good Wife,” “The Big Short,” “Carol,” all kinds of movies and TV shows. So, he plays the son, of course. He’s in his 20s, and he’s an aspiring photographer. One night, he meets the dreamy Dreama Walker. (laughter)

Ref: Oh, is she? (laughter)

Critic: And, she’s from “The Good Wife,” too. And, they get it on. (sings) “Let’s get it on” …

Ref: All right, all right.

Critic: So, great. We shuttle forward — like, years. I don’t remember how many.

Ref: Four years.

Critic: Four years. And (laughing) his photography career has not taken off. But, he finds out that Dreama Walker’s character has come back into New York City. That’s where they are. She left; she comes back … with a child. (laughter) The question is: Whose child is it? He thinks: “Maybe it’s mine.” But, we come to find out that his father, played by Christopher McDonald, who was the judge on “The Good Wife” — and that’s all I’m going to say: the judge …

Ref: The judge.

Critic: He had a little relationship with her, too. (laughing) Maybe it’s his kid. We don’t know. And, his wife, played by Talia Balsam, is over all of it. (laughter) OK? Over all of it.

Ref: She’s on vacation.

Critic: There you go. So, the two of them meet this young girl. They, essentially, try to get her on their side. They really want to have a relationship with her, and they fight with each other over who’s the baby daddy. (laughter) And, at the end of the movie, we find out who it is. Also, there’s a roommate, of course, of John Magaro’s, played by Tom Lipinski, who just throws monkey wrenches into everything.

Ref: Absolutely. And, to add on to this, this family is going through a depression, so to speak. The son is depressed; the father is depressed, as he later reveals; and the mother is vacationing somewhere. And, basically, they’re depressed. This little girl ends up being a fresh air, a fresh wind to the family. And, by the end, you do know who the father is; but, you also get a sense that a new type of family is forged together, with roommates, with (laughing) mistresses, with a child whose father is either — either he has a new [sister] or he’s a new father: the main character.

Critic: Yeah.

Ref: I want to dive into the fact that this cast is wonderful. I’m echoing. Performances by — Christopher McDonald always plays the jerk. (laughter)

Critic: Yes. And, he is so good at it.

Ref: He really, really is.

Critic: Yeah.

Ref: So, he’s no different here. He delivers. Dreama Walker: It’s nice to see her outside of “The Good Wife.” She …

Critic: But, she’s still a troublemaker. She’s always a troublemaker.

Ref: But a very nice troublemaker, at that.

Critic: That’s right.

Ref: Now, I don’t watch “Suits,” so I don’t know …

Critic: Tom Lipinski.

Ref: Yeah, I don’t know his work. But, he was the comic relief, if you will, of the show. Really, the type of roommate that you dream of not having. (laughter) 

Critic: Yeah, and you what? He really plays a toned-down version of his “Suits” character. (laughter)

Ref: Oh, my goodness. And, then, of course, the lead, John Magaro, who is — to me, he plays depressed very well.

Critic: Yeah.

Ref: He plays sort-of aspiring very well.

Critic: Exactly.

Ref: He didn’t blow me away. But, at the same time, it was very necessary. Now, for me …

Critic: And, you know, it’s really not that kind of role. Can I just say, though, about the casting, since we’re talking about it here?

Ref: Wait! I’m not done.

Critic: Oh, sorry! Go ahead.

Ref: For me, the breath of fresh air …

Critic: I’m waiting.

Ref: The one who grounded all her scenes …

Critic: Yes.

Ref: … I just felt like she was actually that person … is Talia.

Critic: (overlapping) The mother from “Underground.” (laughter)

Ref: Yeah, the mother from “Underground” or the wife from “Mad Men,” let’s not forget her work in “Mad Men” …

Critic: That was a joke. That’s another character, the mother from “Underground.” (laughter) You should know that.

Ref: Oh, well. … You know, Talia: I’ve admired her work. I loved her in “Mad Men.” … And, this is George Clooney’s ex-wife. She’s currently married to John Slattery.

Critic: Oh!

Ref: But, she grounded the entire — she just really drew me in. Would I like to be her? The character, the wife, the one who’s dealing with this mistress floating around in her life? I don’t know. But, she played it very, very well. I loved her in that role.

Critic: Yeah. And, you know, she shows up during, really, the second half of the film. They needed that …

Ref: Yeah, they did.

Critic: … that pickup. Look, when she showed up, I was like, “OK. We’re ready to go!” Now, let me also say, John Magaro and Christopher McDonald: I think it was such an interesting (noise) casting choice … That’s the Ref, everybody, trying to get a drink. (laughter) See what happens? See what happens when I’m trying to talk?

Ref: It’s late! (laughing) It’s late.

Critic: See what she does to me? Anyway, John Magaro and Christopher McDonald: I think it was such an interesting casting decision to have them play father and son, ‘cause they’re so not father and son; but it works in this film. It so works. The rivalry: I think, when they’re going at each other, it’s really a lot of fun. I also enjoyed …

Ref: Oh! (laughter)

Critic: (laughing) I also enjoyed: There’s a moment, at the beginning, when they show John filming a video — or, I’m sorry, a photo shoot …

Ref: Yeah.

Critic: … at a photo shoot for an album cover. I thought, visually, that was very interesting. And, he’s on his bike. That, to me, was interesting. I needed more of that, though, throughout the film. Later on, I think we kinda get the point …

Ref: Yeah.

Critic: … a little sooner than the movie’s ready to realize that they’ve given us the point. So, overall, for me, it’s a nice watch if you want something kind of fun and light. And, it’s the summertime; it’s On Demand. OK? It’s [an] indie kind of thing. Is it perfect? No. You get some interesting performances here, as we’ve suggested. And, there you go. What do you say?

Ref: I say that this is definitely something, you know, if you want to just watch at home — I wouldn’t necessarily, for me, go out of my way to see it in the theater. But, if you do see it in a theater, I echo: You will enjoy the performances. And, also, if you’re in the New York City area or if you’ve been to New York, New York is really an additional character …

Critic: Yeah.

Ref: … to the movie. So, it’s nice to see New York highlighted the way it is. They’re not going to show you the Statue of Liberty or any [other tourist] spots. But, they’ll show you the little nooks and crannies of New York …

Critic: Yeah.

Ref: … that you may not see if you’re just a tourist here. So, hats off to the choice of cinematography. So, that’s my verdict. (pause) Oh, I would’ve said that’s our verdict. (laughing) I thought you were going to say something else. (laughter)

Critic: Yeah, that’s our verdict. There it is. I said it. (laughter)