In the wake of 9/11 Ned Chipley (Michael Angarano, “The Knick”) wants nothing more than to be a hero. “I put on 15 pounds of muscle mass,” he announces when he tries to join the marines. “I can do 60 push-ups without stopping and 100 if you give me a 30-second break. I can run six miles in 42 minutes. And I want to save lives.”
Unfortunately for Ned, this isn’t enough to get him into the armed forces. However, as a sympathetic sergeant (Alvin “Xzibit” Joiner, “Empire”) tells him, “The real heroes are the ones looking after their fellow citizens here on the home front.” And so Ned, with the help of new friend Tally (Melissa Benoist, “Supergirl”), decides to do just that.
“Sun Dogs” marks “Once Upon a Time” actress Jennifer Morrison’s feature directorial debut. The dramedy premiered last year at the Los Angeles Film Festival. “I believe that we are all misfits in one way or another,” Morrison told us in an interview. “‘Sun Dogs’ takes us inside the world of the outsider. In my mind, Ned Chipley is a mirror for us all. He represents every moment we feel like a failure. His journey is the miracle of everyday life. Some things are not what they seem. Some things are much more than we ever imagined. And sometimes, the simplest gesture can make the greatest impact.”
“Sun Dogs” also stars recent Oscar winner Allison Janney and “Modern Family’s” Ed O’Neill. The film hits Netflix April 6.