The Baltimorons shows characters breaking out of their perceived limitations

The popular adage says that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. The trip to what is known as Sin City is meant to be an escape from reality, which includes but is not limited to the past due bills and stressful relationships we leave behind. Much more so than other vacations, the high people get from Vegas is not only natural, but it is heightened. No real need for weed, but I wouldn’t know (wink). Jay Duplass’s The Baltimorons, though, has nothing to do with Vegas, but everything to do with its aspects of escapism that elevate the senses.

Set in Baltimore and led by Michael Strassner and Liz Larsen as Cliff and Didi, respectively, The Baltimorons is about a roughly thirty-five-year-old man struggling to stay sober using humor and maintaining connections to the people and activities that bring him joy. You wouldn’t know this from the film’s opening, which shows Cliff walking up a narrow staircase to an attic, proceeding to stand on a stool and put his belt around his neck, and clumsily falling flat on his bottom. The absence of any sound other than Cliff’s groan and the stool hitting the wooden floor make an otherwise sad scene quite hilarious, thus setting the tone for the movie.

The inciting incident in the film occurs when Cliff and his fiancée, Brittany (Olivia Luccardi), arrive at her parents’ home for Christmas Eve dinner. When she sees a text come across his phone regarding plans to hang out with his friends later, the two argue as they exit the car. Distracted while texting his friend, Cliff crashes into the Luccardis’ entry door, knocking out his tooth. In search of a dentist, he finally finds Dr. Didi Daw, a mid-forty-year-old divorcée, who agrees to meet him at her office. When Cliff’s car is towed while receiving care and Didi’s plans for family dinner are abruptly canceled, the two wind up spending the day together.

With humor, jazzy Christmas music, and festive holiday decorations in mostly neighborhood settings, The Baltimorons maintains a light tone while dealing with what are normally heavy subjects. When Cliff calls his best friend Marvin (Rob Phoenix) for help getting out of a jam for instance, Marvin, who is a Black man, is incredulous to learn of Cliff’s request, responding “You want me, a Black man, to break into a tow yard?” It is only then that Cliff realizes he was asking his friend not only to commit a crime but that the perception (and likely consequences) of Marvin doing such a thing is very different than they would be for someone who is White. This exchange in the film is brilliantly executed, as its point is dulled neither by its brevity nor its humor.

Complementing these humorous and teachable moments are the quiet spaces left for more serious, intimate dialog to soak in. Surprised, for instance, that Cliff wants to have dinner with her, Didi asks him “Why do you want to have dinner with me?” “Because we’re having fun,” he responds. Didi’s question suggests she has doubts about her own attractiveness. This is not unusual for women who have experienced divorce. Therapist Lara Farrokh writes that “[they] often feel like potential partners will see them as ‘used goods’ — as if women are like cars which devalue with age and use.” Cliff’s response in this tender exchange speaks to his feelings of vulnerability, which is an unusual depiction of men, particularly for those of higher weight. This group is often treated as if they are made of metal exteriors, as if they don’t experience physical or emotional pain like others, or that they cannot and should not be taken seriously. Cliff flips these conceptions on their head.

The class and age differences between Cliff and Didi are subtly highlighted in the The Baltimorons. When Cliff sees Didi’s home, he jokes that she has good credit. The comment calls attention to Didi’s lifestyle in contrast to the numerous past due bills casually strewn on Cliff’s table at his home. And when Didi indicates she is unfamiliar with sketch comedy, Cliff happily explains the art form to her. Such moments in the story speak to the social class and generational gaps, respectively, between the two adults. The contrasts allow us to hold up a mirror to ourselves to consider where we fall on each spectrum. We can even reflect on how we conduct ourselves when we encounter people in social and age locations different from our own.

The Baltimorons brings to mind similar indie films like Raine Allen‑Miller’s 2023 debut feature, Rye Lane, and Nora Ephron’s 1993 classic, Sleepless in Seattle. Both depict serendipitous events that bring two people together. Like The Baltimorons, they use wit and humor to avoid being heavy and preachy while they invite questions about friendship and complicated romantic relationships that we stumble into.

While Cliff periodically updates Brittany on his whereabouts, ensuring her that he will be home soon, it becomes clear that neither he nor Didi are quite ready to go back to their lives. What is never spoken out loud, however, is how different their lives are. That is, despite the difference in age and social class, the two gravitate toward one another. When she and Cliff perform an impromptu set at a sketch comedy club, he admits to her that he didn’t think he could ever do anything like that sober, suggesting how invaluable her support meant to him. When Didi’s ex-husband takes several verbal jabs at her, Cliff interjects to humiliate him, indicating how he is becoming protective of her.

I love this film about two people who can be seen as needing an escape to avoid the realities of their lives at a time of year when people often feel lonely. In addition to being funny and entertaining, The Baltimorons teaches us that the social dimensions we occupy don’t have to be hard lines or barriers that keep us from engaging one another and enjoying the rich relationships that can evolve from that. Indeed, Cliff and Didi would probably describe their time together as fun, surreal, and just what they needed at that time. But where does Brittany fit in all of this? As Cliff’s fiancée, she not only wonders but worries about where and why he has gone AWOL on one of the most significant family holidays of the year. Unfortunately for her, he might as well have been in Vegas.