After a tragic loss of both parents, 11-year-old Tim Hart is forced to live with his immensely immature Uncle Max, a second rate magician. and who, with the help of his nephew, tries to cultivate his last hand at love.
Acting
Ivan Sergei commits to Max's pathetic grandeur with zero vanity.
Writing
The kid actually talks like a traumatized 11-year-old, not a wisecracking adult.
Director
James D. Fields
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Barry Corbin (Grismer) was 80 during filming and reportedly improvised most of his cantankerous asides.
The film quietly subverts the 'magical mentor' trope by making the magician objectively terrible at his craft—until emotional honesty becomes his actual trick.
US
