Releasing Friday, October 9th, this hilarious, low-budget indie relies on the talents of many Upright Citizen Brigade comedy theater alums and their friends. With a stellar cast that includes star and co-writer Huskey, co-writer and director Walsh, and Walsh’s wife, Morgan Walsh, the film is a fresh look at the often-crazy reliance on self-help gurus that is part of the Los Angeles scene. Supporting cast includes Review‘s Andy Daly and Brooklyn Nine Nine’s Joe Lo Truglio, and SNL‘s Horatio Sands, but it’s Huskey’s movie and he runs with it.
Dr. Ron Knight (Huskey, Veep, Neighbors, Another Period) portrays a Los Angeles hypnotherapist with an self-published self-help book, a bevy of suggestible clients, and even more ads on bus stop benches. Maybe he’s onto something with his fast-track hypnosis and his call to patients that they should “wake up, wake up, wake up,” but maybe he’s not. He’s definitely clueless when it comes to his own marriage and relationships.
In the throes of a divorce from wife Margo (Morgan Walsh, Hot Wives of Orlando), Huskey reaches out to his handyman (Sanz), his patients – including pretty young Lindsay (Erinn Hayes, Children’s Hospital), and even his hilariously anal, pompous, and generally obnoxious neighbor (Daly).
Along with Dr. Ron’s misguided, sometimes poignant misadventures, the film pokes genial fun at the uniquely Los Angeles alternative help craze – it’s not just the M.D. or the shrink you can turn to when you have gurus and personal trainers peddling their quick fixes as well.
A Better You is director/co-writer Walsh’s second feature, and along with Huskey, the pair created the frame work for the fully improvised script, following the precepts of sketch comedy that UCB has made famous in LA and NYC. Funded on Indiegogo, this low budget fun-fest among talented friends will keep you laughing in the theater or on VOD; theatrical release in Los Angeles will be at Laemmle’s Music Hall in Beverly Hills.
- Genie Davis; All photos copyright Jack Burke