2018
Directed by: Brooke Purdy and Doug Purdy
Starring: Brooke Purdy, Doug Purdy, Maxwell Purdy, and Mo Gaffney
"I'm not on the PTA, I'm not even a booster... I used to be punk rock"
In 2008, Brooke Purdy was diagnosed with DCIS, a non-invasive form of breast cancer. She and her husband, Doug, had two small children and fought the disease with the weapons that most of us use in times of personal crisis, friends, family, and (quite possibly) most importantly a shared sense of humor. This life-changing experience was the catalyst that inspired QUALITY PROBLEMS, a semi-autobiographical take on their family’s survival. Brooke, Doug, and their two children, Max and Scout, star in the film, "a final chapter in their healing – and a vehicle for hope for families dealing with a diagnosis."
Bailey (Brooke Purdy) and Drew (Doug Purdy) are a 40-something couple piecing together a suburban existence that many of us can relate to. Birthday parties, side jobs, and... cancer. As a highly motivated Boot Camp trainer with an impressively long to-do list, Bailey shows no signs of allowing her diagnosis to slow her down. She has no time to be concerned with something like abnormal cellular activity, there is simply too much to do. Distraction is her coping mechanism. Drew is a handyman who will pick up any side-job he can. To either help make ends meet or to find a means to an end. He is a natural fixer and wants to repair Bailey.
The natural execution of the performances, writing, and direction create an immediately accessible and genuine tone that is rarely seen in films of this kind. Most films that deal with cancer or other illnesses tend to have a cynical or detached sense about them. They wallow in misery and forget to examine the truth of the situation. Some of the biggest laughs I've ever had were sitting next to my mother while she had chemotherapy. To describe QUALITY PROBLEMS in a word, it's honest. An honest comedy about cancer.
The natural execution of the performances, writing, and direction create an immediately accessible and genuine tone that is rarely seen in films of this kind. Most films that deal with cancer or other illnesses tend to have a cynical or detached sense about them. They wallow in misery and forget to examine the truth of the situation. Some of the biggest laughs I've ever had were sitting next to my mother while she had chemotherapy. To describe QUALITY PROBLEMS in a word, it's honest. An honest comedy about cancer.
The film examines a family grappling for normalcy, doing their absolute best to find humor in the darkest of times. Struggling to balance that levity with the anger, distractions, compassion, and frustration that we all experience when a loved one is presented with a medical emergency.
QUALITY PROBLEMS is currently available on VOD for more information about the film click HERE.
QUALITY PROBLEMS is currently available on VOD for more information about the film click HERE.