WONDERFUL WORLD
Year: 2009
USA: Magnolia Pictures
Cast: Matthew Broderick, Sanaa Lathan, Michael Kenneth Williams, Jodelle Ferland, Philip Baker Hall, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Patrick Carney, Christy Reese, Zacharias E Foppe, Cristen Barnes, Mia Alicia Ford, Paul T Taylor, James Burton, Dan Zanes, John Hambrick, Drew Waters, Odessa Sykes, Carey Bowers, Linda Leonard, David George, William Ragsdale, David Jenson, Michael Showers, Thomas Ike Awagu
Director: Josh Goldin
Country: USA
USA: 89 mins
USA Rated: R for language, some drug use and sexual content
USA Release Date: 8 January 2010 (Limited Release - New York and Los Angeles)
Synopsis
A bittersweet comedy about families, friends and a frivolous fight against corporate institutions, Matthew Broderick (FINDING AMANDA, THE PRODUCERS) plays Ben Singer, a failed children's folk singer, a newly unemployed proof reader and an every-other-weekend dad to his young daughter (Jodelle Ferland), who prefers pretty much anything to listening to her dad's pessimistic ramblings.
Struggling in all aspects of his life, Ben's only comforts come from smoking marijuana alone and regular chess games with his smart and opinionated Senegalese roommate Ibou (Michael Kenneth Williams - THE ROAD). When Ibou is suddenly struck ill and an insensitive municipal employee exacerbates the emergency situation, Ben pours his energy into a lawsuit against the city for depraved indifference. Ben's life begins to turn around with the arrival of Ibou's beautiful and sexy sister Khadi (Sanaa Lathan - THE FAMILY THAT PREYS) from Senegal, who moves into Ibou's room in Ben's apartment. As Ben suspects that it is his own cynicism corroding the beauty around him, he realizes that it's all a matter of perspective.
WONDERFUL WORLD is written and directed by Josh Goldin and stars Matthew Broderick, Michael Kenneth Williams, Sanaa Lathan, Jodelle Ferland, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Ally Walker, and Philip Baker Hall. It features original music with a cameo performance by acclaimed musician Dan Zanes, the noted father of the modern independent kids' music movement.