1979. While performing his drag act, Rudy Donatello (Cumming) catches the eye of a handsome man whose just sat down. Later, in the car, introductions are made after a police officer surprises them. Handsome young stranger is Paul Fliger (Dillahunt) and he’s a lawyer in the local District Attorney’s office. Always a few dollars short of being evicted, Rudy constantly argues with his neighbor (Jamie Anne Allman), a single mother who plays her music way too loud night and day. One morning Rudy finds her son, Marco (an amazing Issac Leyva) home alone. Marco has Down ’s syndrome so Rudy is furious that mom never came home. He retrieves the business card that Paul gave him and calls his office. Embarrassed, Paul does not take his call. In a fit of defiance, Rudy takes Marco down to Paul’s office and makes a scene. Paul informs Rudy that he can’t help him and Rudy returns home to find a worker from Child Services waiting. It seems Marco’s mom has been arrested by the vice squad and is going to be spending some time away from home. Marco is put in a foster home but wanders back to the only home he knows. Rudy discovers him and hides him in his apartment. What follows is a story of love, perseverance and the bias that clouds even the most august of institutions.
With a fist-full of film festival awards to its credit, including Chicago, Palm Springs, Seattle and Tribeca, ANY DAY NOW is an inspirational tale of life, love and the joy and heartaches of both. Cumming is outstanding in a role that could have been played very over the top. Instead he plays Rudy exactly the way he is meant to be: a proud gay man who doesn’t judge or desire to be judged. Rudy is also a musician and the film puts Cumming’s talents (he won a Tony Award for his role as the M. C. in “Cabaret”) to good use. As the film progresses, Rudy and Paul become a couple and try to become Marco’s guardian. Paul has told the curious that Rudy is his cousin but soon the cat is out of the bag. Now both Paul and Rudy must face the workings and decisions of a legal system that hasn’t come out of the 19th Century. Dillahunt is also solid as a divorced man discovering the lifestyle he had tried to keep hidden. A supporting cast of familiar character actors, including Gregg Henry, Frances Fisher, Alan Rachins and Michael Nouri, help move the story along. But it is young Issac Leyva that deserves the attention. With his soft voice and huge smile he melts your heart as a young man who just wants to be loved and accepted.
Based on a true story, the screenplay by George Arthur Bloom and director Fine hits all the right notes. There are no false emotions, only genuine feelings. Composer Joey Newman, whose family members have amassed an amazing 43 Academy Award nominations in the music field, provides a score that compliments the story without making it sappy.
Video: The film is presented in its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio. The transfer is a little dark, which isn’t helped by the fact that the story often takes place in a dark club or small apartment.
Audio: Presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, the sound is clean and clear, whether during Cumming’s musical performances or in a hushed courtroom.
Making “Any Day Now” (17:07): A pretty much by-the-book featurette featuring interviews with the cast and director Fine, all of whom have nothing but praise for Alan Cumming.
Getting to Know Issac (2:18): A short interview with Issac Leyva, as charming here as he is on screen.
Issac’s Audition (2:00): The video submission Leyva prepared to audition for the role of Marco.
Theatrical Trailer
