ODD BRODSKY: A Charming Tale About Not Giving Up On Dreams

Odd Brodsky is the low budget and independent, charming and comedic tale of Audrey Brodsky, who is portrayed by Tegan Ashton Cohan. The story was co-written by Cindy Baer and her husband Matthew Irving and was directed by Baer, while Irving took on the role of Director of Photography behind the lens.

Meet Aud…Er, Odd

Early on in the story, Audrey is nicknamed “Odd” by her peers as she’s the awkward, ugly duckling in grade school who doesn’t really fit in anywhere although she desperately wants to find her place. Raised by a disinterested widower, Odd takes off for greener pastures and hitches her way to Hollywood in pursuit of her own star-struck dreams of fame and fortune. However, fame and fortune isn’t what she finds.

Odd finds herself in a dead-end boring office job. She’s really good at it though and becomes an indispensable part of the corporate machine. She dreams of quitting her day job and ends up launching her own reality show, which turns out to be just as awkward and clumsy as she is. Her cameraman with a school-boy crush is aptly called “Camera One” (Matthew Kevin Anderson) and mindlessly followers her around. We’re never told his real name and he isn’t given one in the credits, symbolic of him being a dime-a-dozen trying to make it in an industry oversaturated with passionate people.

With a fragile and innocent-appearing exterior, as a character, Audrey Brodsky has a lot more inner strength and depth than she shows on a surface level. Growing up without a mom and as an outcast among her peers, with a blissful outlook on her future, one has to imagine that she developed a thicker skin than meets the eye to boldly pursue a lifestyle among the rich and famous. She shows a strong sense of self, giving this character something special to develop over the course of the film with her glistening sense of inspired passion.

Directing, Acting and Resurrecting

Director and co-writer, Baer plays the role of Odd’s good friend, Sammy. Sammy’s character is a fictional spin on Baer herself, who is obsessed with resurrecting versions of her film “Hell Is Here”, a fictional take on her real life 2004 film, Purgatory House. In its newest incarnation, Sammy has turned it into a musical play for the stage. Sammy’s resurrection of Hell is Here provides some added entertainment to the film, secondary to the main storyline.

Sammy’s musical is rehearsing a few doors down from the office when Odd is at odds after having just quit her job, so she turns to her friend for advice. Odd bursts into the theater and interrupts rehearsal of the production, insisting she must speak with Sammy right at that moment. The musical boasts a dramatic pink-haired drag queen version of “God” played by Tom Hanks’ brother, Jim Hanks, and is responsible for providing the audience with a few extra giggles and smiles.

Irving’s eye behind the lens is sharp. The lighting of each scene wholly illuminates the presence of those on screen. The picture is crisp, colorful and cinematic. The editing by Ted Oaks was seamlessly sewn together, giving the film a quality and appeal that is often lacking in low budget independent films. Baer and Irving have proven to pair together well not just in a personal relationship, but in a professional one as well. Together they’ve given us a fun and family-friendly independent comedy that people of all ages can enjoy.

All Eyes On Odd

Cohan’s performance of our leading lady is perfectly quirky, giving Odd enough charisma to hold the audience’s attention. She carries the lead role well with a face full of animated expressions and just enough pizazz to make Audrey Brodsky a character that you can’t help but fall in love with, warts and all. Knowing the odds are stacked against characters like this in real life, it’s so easy to root for her and want her to win.

When Odd realizes her dreams and finds her place within the entertainment world, where she wants to be, a sense of gratitude exudes from Cohan’s glowing face with bright eyes and contagious smile. The character feels like someone we all have known in our life at one point or another – and if we haven’t known her, we’ve been her, making her plight relatable even if the dream is different.

Audrey Brodsky gives herself permission to dream and then to chase those dreams, fully aware that she could be risking it all and possibly face grave humiliation if all fails. Without much support and outright discouragement from her father, feeling all alone and facing the challenges, she goes for it anyway.

Odd Brodsky: Conclusion

Odd Brodsky is a new take on the Cinderella story, with fresh faces, unconventional characters of the underdog variety that is full of hope and a wacky sense of wisdom. This film leaves the audience with the idea that one can still have the life they dream of, even if things don’t work out exactly as they imagine it will. It tells the story of a woman who refuses to give up.

It is her stubborn perseverance, even when it seems that she’s the only one who believes in her dreams, that ends up paying off in the end. This film is an independent gem that would make for a perfect girls-night-in flick. 

Have you seen Odd Brodsky? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

Odd Brodsky is now available on Amazon Prime and other VOD platforms.