Jon Heder found immense success with his breakout lead role in the 2004 cult classic comedyNapoleon Dynamite. And he has been riding those coattails ever since. After a string of hit and miss comedies that never really discovered the right way to utilize the man’s talents, we getWhen Jeff Tried to Save the World, which looks like Napoleon Dynamite in a bowling alley.
Jeff (Jon Heder) is the manager of anold-school bowling alleycalled Winky’s World. Everyday he is the first to arrive and the last to leave. He has memorized the shoe sizes of community regulars and the quirks of his fellow employees. Routine is Jeff’s middle name, and it’s up to him to keep everything and everyone in order. When Jeff’s boss Sheila (Candi Milo) tells him that her soon-to-be ex-husband Carl (Jim O’Heir) is selling Winky’s, he takes matters into his own hands.
While keeping this plan on a need to know basis, Jeff also struggles to hide Winky’s World from his family who, for years, believed Jeff was putting hiscomputer engineeringdegree to use. With little help from the other employees, Jeff is forced to face the reality that his life as he knows it may slip out of his grip. A secret hidden within the walls of the building may be exactly what it takes to keep the ball rolling when the lanes begin to look more like a maze than ever before.
Kendall Goldberg directsWhen Jeff Tried to Save the World. She started out in the world of shorts, directing her first one in 2012 withWashing Away.When Jeff Tried to Save the Worldis her feature-length directorial debut. She already has her second feature done as well, withThe Lake Effectawaiting release in 2019. She also recently directed the shortDempsey the Diabetic Superhero.
Kendall Goldberg wrote the original screenplay forWhen Jeff Tried to Save the Worldwith Rachel Borgo. They also both collaborated onThe Lake Effect. The movie was produced by Shane Simmons, Jimmy Seargeant and Sam Slater.
Jon Heder is joined by a cast that also includes Jim O’Heir, Anna Konkle, Maya Erskine, Brendan Meyer and Candi Milo. We also get a first look at the teaser poster which declares, ‘Life without bumpers isn’t easy’. The trailer comes direct from FilmBuff Movies. The movie will be available on VOD December 7.
