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Tony Hale strs in Scott Abramovitch's Eat Wheaties!Courtesy of levelFILM

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  • Eat Wheaties!
  • Directed by Scott Abramovitch
  • Written by Scott Abramovitch, based on the novel by Michael Kun
  • Starring Tony Hale, Elisha Cuthbert and Paul Walter Hauser
  • Classification N/A; 89 minutes

Fourteen months into our endless cycle of nothingness, and most of us can relate to Sid Straw (Tony Hale), the lead in Canadian director Scott Abramovitch’s feature debut. A gentle man whose dull life is rattled by his own technological ineptitude, Sid repeatedly reaches out to fellow alum Elizabeth Banks (yes, the Elizabeth Banks) after being appointed co-chair of their college reunion.

Unfortunately, Sid’s intentions are misconstrued, and after a series of heartbreaking misunderstandings, he finds himself at professional and personal rock-bottom.

The thing is, despite its unique premise, Eat Wheaties! is easy to embrace. Hale plays Sid not like a victim, but as a person trying to do better. Sid may be frustrating, but you don’t root against him, you wait for the moment he finally believes he’s the main character of his own story. But of course, more story would be even better. Because as much as Sid endears himself to us, it still feels like there’s something missing – as if back stories have been withheld or part of the plot has taken place elsewhere. Which, again, feels kind of like real life. Although please don’t spice up your lockdowns by reaching out to Elizabeth Banks.

Eat Wheaties! is available on-demand, including Apple TV/iTunes and Google Play, starting May 4

In the interest of consistency across all critics’ reviews, The Globe has eliminated its star-rating system in film and theatre to align with coverage of music, books, visual arts and dance. Instead, works of excellence will be noted with a Critic’s Pick designation across all coverage.

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