John Lithgow and Blythe Danner in The Tomorrow Man (Bleecker Street)

John Lithgow is Ed Hemsler, a paranoid ultra conservative who believes that the current and toxic world political climate may lead to a nuclear attack, and therefore he spends his days preparing for the worst. Day after day, the retired senior participates in online forums, reads voraciously, keeps up with the news, and makes up for his fear of doomsday by maintaining a state of the art food bunker.

In one of his daily trips to the grocery store, he encounters a serendipitous crush in the form of Ronnie Meisner, a shy but sweet woman who also has eccentric quirks of her own. Like two missing pieces in a puzzle, they find each other and embark on a journey of mutual self-discovery while dealing with those around them. In Ed’s case, this means coming to terms with his bewildered son, Brian (Derek Cecil), who can’t seem to comprehend his father’s bizarre behavior. This in turn makes it harder for him to discipline his own daughter. Ronnie, on the other hand, tries to fill the void of an unexpected death with an unusual solution.

As usual, Lithgow gives a good performance, while Blythe Danner is great as Ronnie. She brings a strong attention to detail, like Ronnie’s tenderness and the subtle attraction she feels toward Ed. That being said, even if viewers find ourselves agreeing and identifying with what the two are going through, since we also live in this present crazy world, The Tomorrow Man effect is nothing short of underwhelming.

Noble Jones debuts as a director and writer with a mostly passable and at times dragging movie. It can be viewed as a reminder that one is never alone, and it’s somewhat a breath of fresh air when it focuses on the couple’s antics, since their relationship is a much needed utopian view in these pessimistic times. It both articulates the modern preoccupation about where the world may end up and has its heart in the right place, saving the film from relaying completely on the characters’ eccentricities.

It also offers a commentary on technology and how it shapes lives in the 21st century, while disguised as an American small-town slice of life romantic drama centered on an older couple, but that’s about it. Nothing more, nothing less.