‘Color Book’ Review – A Grieving Father And Son Struggle After A Devastating Loss [Tribeca 2024]

How do you return to your everyday life after a tremendous loss? Writer-director David Fortune unpacks this question in his debut feature film, Color Book, which chronicles the lives of devoted father Lucky (William Catlett) and his son, Mason (Jeremiah Daniels), in the days after the memorial of his wife and mother, Tammy (Brandee Evans).

As the film opens, sadness and grief weigh on Lucky like a heavy blanket. Catlett’s somber expression as he wakes up and gets himself and Mason dressed or stares silently out of the passenger side window on his way to the memorial broadcasts his inner grief and turmoil, even as he tries to put on a solid front for his son. When Mason requests that his father take him to a baseball game, the two set out on a journey to fulfill the young boy’s wishes, a welcome distraction from their tremendous loss.

Color Book is a quiet, moving film from beginning to end. Lucky’s determination to bring joy and happiness to his and Mason’s lives as he figures out how to successfully care for his functional needs son in the long term is emotional and grounded in many parents’ daily struggles. Rarely do audiences see Black narratives that evolve past harmful stereotypes and cliches to tell a more meaningful story. However, David Fortune successfully does so in his debut feature.

To see a Black father, who is stereotypically portrayed as a deadbeat or abusive in many films, being highly present in his son’s life and trying to thoughtfully and sensitively navigate his son’s intellectual challenges is a beautiful thing to watch. There’s even a scene where Lucky and Mason run into another Black father whose daughter has Down syndrome. It leads viewers to believe Lucky is a member of a group of parents raising kids with intellectual disabilities. It reiterates his devotion to his son’s well-being.

William Catlett’s performance as Lucky is memorable and will resonate with anyone who has lost a loved one and is trying to figure out what their new normal looks like. Catlett’s somber expression communicates so much and gives viewers the genuine sense that his heart and mind are heavy with grief. There’s a scene during which he silently removes his wife’s items from her wrecked car, and although it’s relatively quick, he communicates so much. Lucky is tired and sad but can’t afford to give up because he has a young son to raise. His chemistry with his young co-star, Jeremiah Daniels, works so well.

Speaking of Daniels, this is a young actor to watch. Like any young child, Mason can be wayward and rebellious at times, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t aware of the significant loss he and his father have experienced. Only he doesn’t have the language for it; he feels his father’s sadness, frustration, and defeat. The film’s title refers to Mason’s drawings and his way of interpreting and making sense of the world around him.

Although her role is small, Terry J. Vaughn has to be mentioned. The kindness she shows the duo in a scene toward the end of the film gives them both strength and hope. Vaughn is a talented actress who has always been capable of doing so much with so little. Although her role doesn’t allow her to be in more of the film, she absolutely eats up the screen with what she’s given.

Beautifully shot in black and white, the lack of a lively color pallet works in this film’s favor, given the subject matter. Although it adds to the sad, grief-filled air of the film, it doesn’t become depressing. It grounds the movie in its everyday drama of a single parent trying to raise his son.

Color Book is an emotional look at a grieving father and son trying to navigate their new reality after the loss of a loved one. It’s beautifully shot and directed, and the actor’s performances will leave viewers thinking about the film long after the credits finish rolling.

Color Book held its World Premiere as a part of the Viewpoints section of the 2024 Tribeca Festival. The film was the AT&T Presents: Untold Stories winner at the 2023 Tribeca Festival. 

Director: David Fortune

Screenwriter: David Fortune

Rated: NR

Runtime: 115m