Cas & Dylan movie review & film summary (2015)

The makers of “Cas & Dylan,” a Canadian production, might think they are using the same map as these predecessors for their plot even as they keep matters strictly platonic. Certainly, they have the makings of a generational clash with their protagonists. On one hand, there is Cas Pepper, a portly white-haired Winnipeg doctor (Richard Dreyfus) with terminal cancer who decides to drive to Vancouver to live out his final days. On the other hand is Dylan Morgan, a flibbertigibbet of a 20-something female (Tatiana Maslany of TV’s “Orphan Black”) who thinks hanging around hospital wards filled with people in pain is a good way to become a writer.

But the story ends up being one wrong turn after another. A GPS hasn’t been invented that could get this plot-hole-riddled script back on track. “Cas & Dylan” isn’t so much a road trip as roadkill—flat, lifeless and faintly odiferous. That the misbegotten effort is the feature directorial debut of Jason Priestley, the onetime heartthrob from the long-running ‘90s TV series “Beverly Hills, 90210,” just makes matters worse. Who wants to beat up on Brandon? Wasn’t dealing with co-star Shannen Doherty all those years punishment enough? 

But beat we must. Matters go awry right out of the gate when Dylan’s gun-toting dolt of a boyfriend shows up and suddenly a quick trip home turns into a getaway in a used orange Volkswagen Beetle convertible. First, there is the sitcom-y dialogue. “Are you a philanthropist?” asks Dylan of her taciturn companion. “Because I am a philanthropy. I’m more than happy to have money thrown at me.” Says Cas in a low grumble: “That’s called a stripper.”

But as it turns out, verbal diarrhea is the least of Dylan’s off-putting traits. She lies, shoplifts, smokes, snoops,  mooches and disses Cas’ love of bluegrass music. Her idea of fun? Asking a gas station worker if their beef jerky comes in kosher before purloining a packet of said food item. Throw in her misguided fashion choices and it is as if she adopted Madonna’s character in “Desperately Seeking Susan” as her role model. She also pesters Cas about helping him as he struggles to pen a suicide note. “So what would you say your theme is?” she inquires a bit too cutely. “Regret? Unrequited love?” Cas replies dryly: “Death. The theme is death.”