This is the kind of small indie movie I like to champion.
Lily Trevino (Barbie Ferreira) is a twenty-something woman with incredibly low self-esteem which has caused her to lead a lonely life with no close friends other than the woman she’s a caretaker for. It’s all the fault of her narcissistic father, Bob (French Stewart).
Throughout her life, he has put her down regularly and blamed him for the many mistakes he made in barely building a life. Without a mother to set her straight, Lily has spent far too much time trying to please this man who can never be pleased.
When one of Bob’s dates walks out in the middle of dinner, he puts the blame entirely on Lily, saying he never wants to see or talk to her again. Despite the mental abuse he’s heaped on her forever, she’s thunderstruck and desperately wants to repair their relationship. But Bob won’t answer her calls and texts.
So, one night while scrolling around Facebook, Lily searches for her father by name. She finds several Bob Trevinos, but their pictures are of other men. However, one of them has a blank avatar, and she wonders if that might be Dad. She writes a simple introductory message, asking if he’s related to her. It turns out he’s not, but this Bob Trevino (John Leguizamo) is a quiet, compassionate, middle-aged husband who works for a construction company. Unlike her father, he doesn’t ignore or dismiss Lily.
Instead, he exchanges messages with her and they develop a nice relationship that’s so completely platonic he tells his wife about her. The connection Lily and Bob make is sweet and desperately needed by both parties. It encourages her to share more about her life on Facebook, and when Bob clicks the like button on each one, her esteem rises — thus the movie’s title — and he opens up to her, too.
“Bob Trevino Likes It” is both heartwarming and heartbreaking. Ferreira (a regular on “Euphoria”) and Leguizamo (who has been so good in so much for so long) imbue their characters with a mix of humanity and tenderness that is pitch-perfect. Writer/director Tracie Laymon drew on her own experiences to bring the story to the screen, and it has been a hit on the film festival circuit, winning thirteen audience awards.
I’m recommending “Bob Trevino Likes It” with a rating of 9 out of 10. Opens tonight in theaters.