Any Day Now (2012 film)


Any Day Now is a 2012 American drama film directed by Travis Fine who rewrote the original screenplay that George Arthur Bloom had written 30 years previously.

History

Bloom describes the story behind getting the film made:
"The screenplay for Any Day Now was inspired by a true story – not based on a true story. I wrote the original script 30 years ago. A friend of mine in NY introduced me to a gay man named Rudy. Rudy lived on Atlantic Ave in Brooklyn. At that time, Atlantic Ave was pretty rundown. It has been gentrified since then. Rudy lived in a tiny apartment and had very little money. He befriended a 12-year-old boy who lived a few blocks away. The boy had been abandoned by his druggie/prostitute mother, and lived with his grandmother. The grandmother didn’t do much to provide for the boy, who didn’t speak. I’m guessing he was autistic, but there was no money to do anything about it. Rudy would bring the boy to his apartment, see to it that he was properly clothed and fed, and he did what he could to get him into school. He practically raised him. That is where reality ended and my writer’s imagination took over. After spending time with Rudy and the boy, I got to wondering what would happen if Rudy decided to adopt him. I did my research and spoke to a number of people about the problems a gay man would have adopting a boy. Remember, this was 1980. The times were a lot different then, although we still have a long way to go. Several months later I had a screenplay."
Despite having a compelling story, Bloom would have to wait 32 years to actually see the film made. He explains:
"My son, PJ, is one of the top Music Supervisors in LA, as well as a record producer and publisher. Among other shows, PJ is the Music Supervisor on Glee. Travis Fine, the director of Any Day Now, made another independent movie 3 years ago called The Space Between. Travis and PJ were friends in high school. When Travis needed help with the music on his movie he contacted PJ. When the movie was done, Travis told PJ he was looking for another movie to do, something small, with heart, and about something important. PJ, who has known about my script his entire adult life, told Travis the story. Travis loved it, and asked that I send him the screenplay. I did, and he said he wanted to make it, with the caveat that he could do some rewriting. We discussed that, and I agreed. Travis did his rewrite, raised the money, hired the actors, and made the movie. If you discount the first 30 years of trying to get the movie made, the last couple have gone by quickly. I love everything Travis did to the script, and he’s made a marvelous movie. He changed the boy who didn’t speak to a boy with Down Syndrome, and cast an extraordinary Down Syndrome actor to play the part. Travis made several other significant changes, but the heart and soul of my screenplay remain as the anchor to the movie."

Plot

Rudy Donatello is a struggling musician and drag performer in a gay nightclub in 1979 West Hollywood, where he meets Paul Fleiger, a closeted district attorney. Returning home to his apartment, Rudy finds Marco, a 14-year-old with Down syndrome, left alone after his mother, Marianna, had been arrested. Rudy takes in the abandoned boy, but Family Services intervenes and takes Marco to foster care. Rudy enlists Paul to help him gain custody of Marco; and the two visit Marianna in prison to coax her into signing the temporary guardianship papers, which she does. All is well as Rudy and Paul become Marco's guardians; but, when Rudy and Paul's relationship is called into question by the court system, the two men find themselves spiraling into a legal battle to become the legal and permanent guardians of the fascinating boy who showed them both the real joy of what it means to be a parent. After having their home evaluated, the men are put in front of a judge who is to decide what's best for the child. The evaluation comes back positive, and it is decided that Rudy and Paul are great parents for Marco. However, just as the court is about to rule in favor of the men, Marco's mother is released from prison. She takes back custody of Marco, leaving Rudy and Paul without their son. Marco is heard saying as he is taken back to his mother's apartment, "this is not my home, this is not my home." As expected, Marianna returns to her old ways and fails to take care of Marco. One night as she is having sex, Marianna tells Marco to step outside of the apartment. Marco begins to wander the streets in search of Paul's house.
The film ends with Marco's death under a bridge after 3 days of wandering, devastating Rudy and Paul.

Cast

Any Day Now received generally positive reviews, currently holding an 79% "certified fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Awards