Harrison Houde and his co-writer/lead Dakota Daulby based TIGHT LETTUCE on the true story of one of Houde’s friends and the friend’s father, who has battled addiction for most of his life.
What sets the film apart from most addiction dramas is its ability to infuse the story with comedy without trivializing the seriousness of the subject. The struggle of trying to help a loved one overcome addiction has been depicted in many films, but Houde’s take is moving nonetheless.
One issue I initially had was that Emmanuel Bilodeau seemed to be overacting in the role of Bodo, the father. However, seeing the real-life inspiration during the end credits made me realize that Bilodeau’s portrayal of him was, in fact, remarkably accurate.
