A Cool, Dry Place

REVIEW
Russ, a Midwestern lawyer, basketball coach and single father, is an atypical role for the magnetic Vaughn, but he still turns in another charming performance. In fact, he is the best reason to watch this thinly plotted domestic drama that has Russ vacillating between Beth (Adams), his potential new girlfriend, and Kate (Potter), the wife who left him. Smith has made a largely unremarkable slice of life, but A Cool, Dry Place is absorbing, and its heart is in the right place. Much of the film's action involves Russ caring for Calvin (Moat), his five-year-old son, who's a handful, and these scenes are very appealing, thanks mostly to Vaughn. The actor effortlessly conveys the stress of a single father who is dedicated to his son but is hoping to get more out of life. Moat is a real find, though the film strains when Potter is on-screen -- her character is the weakest element in the film.