Daniel Lamont, left, and James Norton in Nowhere Special (Cohen Media Group)

Inspired by an actual case of a terminally ill father seeking a new family for his toddler son, producer/director/writer Uberto Pasolini’s sensitively directed third feature could have been a maudlin tearjerker. Instead, Nowhere Special is something special that will melt the hardest of hearts.

A quietly moving James Norton stars as John, a tattooed Belfast window cleaner raising his four-year-old son, Michael (a remarkably natural Daniel Lamont), on his own after Michael’s mother abandoned the family and returned to Russia six months after giving birth. “Mummy had to go far, far away,” John gently explains when Michael asks where she is. John is also keeping another secret from his young son. He is dying (his particular illness is never explained), and he is working with social workers Mrs. Parkes (Laura Hughes) and Shona (Eileen O’Higgins) to find a new home for Michael.

The film fluidly follows father and son between their tenderly rendered routines of daily life (John at his job washing his clients’ windows, John reading bedtime stories and carefully picking out Michael’s head lice: “Someone at the school is not washing their hair”) and their visits with prospective parents. They range from the overly eager posh couple who jump the gun by calling Michael “our son” to the appalling pair who want to adopt for all the wrong reasons.

Initially, John resists Shona’s suggestion that he create a memory box for his son. He believes Michael is too young to learn about death and that it’s better that he forgets his biological parents. But Mrs. Parkes reminds John there is a limit to the number of families he can interview and that time is getting shorter as his illness progresses.

Norton skillfully conveys John’s shifting realization that he will never find the perfect choice based on his limited encounters and that he must rely on his instinct to do what’s best. He also gradually accepts that Michael needs to know what is happening to his father. Although John’s ultimate pick can be easily guessed, it doesn’t detract from the emotional wallop of the final shot, and many audience members may find themselves wiping away tears.

The subtlety and simplicity of Pasolini’s direction will remind viewers of Colm Bairéad’s  The Quiet Girl and Charlotte Wells’s Aftersun, both Oscar-nominated films about the parent-child bond that feature strong performances by young actors. Marius Panduru’s vivid camera work beautifully captures the small poignant details of John and Michael’s everyday life: the bright orange of Michael’s beloved toy lorry (truck), the red candles for John’s (final) birthday, which matches the color of John’s jacket and Michael’s cap. (Kudos to costume designer Maggie Donnelly for her sensitive choices.) Andrew Simon McAllister’s guitar score supports the emotional moments without becoming treacly.

The beautiful relationship between father and son is at the heart of this lovely, touching movie. Norton patiently worked with his young co-star long before the film shoot to build trust and connection. His efforts have paid off brilliantly.