Randall Park Talks Feature Directorial Debut with ‘Shortcomings’

Randall Park will make his feature directorial debut with Shortcomings, based on the graphic novel of the same name by Adrian Tomine. Park says that the movie, which stars Justin Min, Ally Maki and Sherry Cola, was influenced by films including Justin Lin’s Better Luck Tomorrow and Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story.

Park spoke to Variety about how he anticipates the release of the film will go. “This is a very specific kind of movie,” Park said, “We’re a small indie, and we’re coming out in a very tenuous period and also in the shadow of these huge blockbusters. My hope is that people who do go and watch it and enjoy it, that they spread the word, and that eventually we find our audience, if not immediately, at least over time.”

Park, who most known as an actor for his work in Fresh Off the Boat, WandaVision and Always Be My Maybe, also talked about how the recent SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes are affecting the promotion of the movie.

“The actors and Adrian Tomine, our writer, everyone is on the picket lines,” he said, “Because of that, it’s just me as the director going out there and spreading the word, so we are compromised in that regard — which is for good reason, and we don’t feel bad about about it, because now’s the time for the strike, it’s now or never, so we’re in full support. If we have to sacrifice a little bit of our promotion to get it resolved, it’s worth it.”

Shortcomings will hit select cinemas on August 4.

Mia Macaluso: I am currently a graduate student studying journalism at Boston University. I received my undergraduate degree in communications/journalism at LSU in May 2022. My writing interests are the environment, art, culture, religion, and politics.
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