Not all comedians can excel at drama, and those who do it best tend to achieve a middle ground that allows them to maintain some elements of their typical routines but fold them into a compelling serious turn. There are many successful examples, including Robin Williams and Mary Tyler Moore. Jim Gaffigan has dabbled in drama before, with a particularly memorable performance in Light from Light opposite the underrated Marin Ireland. It turns out he’s just the right person to anchor Linoleum, a film that mixes science fiction, family issues, and outright oddities…
Cameron (Gaffigan) is the host of a children’s science show, one that feels particularly dated. When a satellite falls onto his house, he becomes fascinated with the idea of building his own rocket and going into space. His wife Erin (Rhea Seehorn) is far more focused on their impending separation, while their daughter Nora (Katelyn Nacon) develops a friendship with their new neighbor Marc (Gabriel Rush), whose father Kent (also Gaffigan) begins to edge Cameron out of the parts of his life that matter most, starting with his home and his job.
If the plot sounds a bit far-fetched and complicated, that’s because it is, but it’s all part of the appeal. Linoleum feels very much like a dream – not a nightmare – as Cameron struggles to make sense of the things around him that are going on that don’t feel right. He too bonds with Marc, whose similar interests help to inspire him and keep him going when everything else seems to be falling apart. Gaffigan does a remarkable job of making Cameron feel lonely and abandoned, like Michael Stuhlbarg’s Larry in A Serious Man, but he has a passion project to keep him going, into which he instills all of his energy.
The many threads of Linoleum don’t always feel connected but they are all equally involving, culminating in an unexpectedly poignant resolution that only makes the experience of having watched this film feel more worthwhile. It’s great to see Seehorn, returning soon for the final season of Better Call Saul that will (fingers crossed) finally earn her an Emmy nomination, and both Nacon and Rush are young talents with more than a few credits under their belts. Linoleum is a captivating and affirming film, one with a spirit of discovery and education that feels all too rare these days. B+
Linoleum is a world premiere in the Narrative Feature Competition at the SXSW Film Festival.