james ponsoldt be an impressive new talent whose gift be well display in this very excellent small film and off the black . ponsoldt be that rare combination of writer or director who have something unusual and significant to say and have the skill to tell his story with genuine sensitivity and with amazingly polish skill for one so new on the scene . in a small town anywhere in the u age alcoholic ray cook ( nick nolte ) live alone and spend his time make videotape of himself in conversation with his son from whom he have be separate for year . he also be the umpire for the local baseball team and the pitcher for whom be a teenage lad dave tibbel ( trevor morgan ) and a boy whose mother desert her family leave dave and his young sister ashley ( sonia feigelson ) in the care of functionless distant father ( timothy hutton ) and a man who would rather avoid any conversation or emotional support with his confused kid . dave and two friend visit ray cook house one night and empty trash on his lawn and scratch graffiti on his driveway and throw toilet paper stream from the tree and tv antenna . ray be sober enough to catch one of them dave and make a pact with the boy that he will not call the cop if dave promise to clean up ray clutter yard . dave keep his promise and gradually ray and dave warm to each other and each finding in the other the desperate need to fill their empty live a on and a father . ray convinces dave to pose a his son at his high school reunion and the result of that experience couple with numerous other incident bond the two in one of the more tender love relationship ever capture on film . no and this film be not about physical attraction represent it be about the kind of love that be a basic need in each of u and one that sadly be lack in so very many life today . nick nolte delivers a superb performance and it be refresh to see him once again prove that he be a fine character actor . trevor morgan ( at age 20 . ) be a revelation and that kind of actor who apparently excel in his craft intuitively . the support cast be likewise first class and the musical score by claire campbell and alex neville and and brian petway fit the film like a glove . tim orr cinematography be so attuned to the story that it feel like the camera be another character . off the black be yet another little indie film that come in under the radar and deserve so much great an audience than it have have . highly recommended . grady harp .