Filmmakers Sean Gannet And Ryan McDonough Go To Bat For Evocative ‘Last Night In Rozzie’

Starring Neil Brown Jr., Jeremy Sisto, and Nicky Whelan, the feature is now out in theaters and VOD.

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On a given week I’ll see about six or seven movies. Even if some of them are above average cinema, they may leave my memory bank sooner than later. That is not the case with the beautifully crafted and resonant Last Night In Rozzie. The feature is now out in theaters and VOD, and my interview with director Sean Gannet and writer Ryan McDonough is below!

Ronnie Russo (Neil Brown Jr.) returns to his old Boston neighborhood of Rosindale at the request of his childhood best friend Joey Donovan (Jeremy Sisto). Joey is dying, and he is asking Ronnie to reunite him with his 10-year-old son.

Baseball bonded them as youths, but ultimately Ronnie and Joey went their separate ways. Why that rift occured, along with the reason Joey isn’t allowed to see his son, are just a couple of mysteries are part of the film’s layered narrative.

A baseball exchange between Ronnie and Joey in “Last Night in Rozzie” (Gravitas Ventures)

It’s a complicated task for Ronnie, as he must ingratiate himself to Joey’s ex-wife Pattie (Nicky Whelan) and find a way to get her son to Joey. Ronnie has problems of his own, as past traumas continue to influence his life as well as his reunited friends.

Check out my interview with Sean Gannet and Ryan McDonough on the latest episode of CinemAddicts:

Director Sean Gannet and writer Ryan McDonough have expanded the narrative from a 2017 short, and Last Night In Rozzie is anchored by first rate performances from Brown Jr., Sisto and Whelan. The storytelling, though it tackles heavy subjects, is often approached with a subtle hand. Both Gannet and McDonough were raised by single mothers, and the veracity behind this tale (even though it is not autobiographical) is undeniable.

Check out my full interview with Sean Gannet and Ryan McDonough below via YouTube. Please subscribe to my Deepest Dream YouTube Channel for more interviews and movie reviews!

During the interview, Gannet cited Sidney Lumet’s classic feature The Pawnbroker as a visual influence for the film. Lumet’s The Pawnbroker and Night Falls On Manhattan are covered in the following episode of Find Your Film:

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Last Night In Rozzie is now out in theaters and is available on VOD. Tell us what you think of the movie!!

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