Mark Twain once said that it’s a pity that the best part of life comes at the beginning and the worst part at the end. In youth, we’re too inexperienced to appreciate the unconditional care offered by a parent and the freedom from responsibility that allows us to simply sit around and waste time. It’s not until adulthood that we realize what a short-lived rarity these experiences are, and by then, we’re bogged down with grown-up obligations that will last us the rest of our lives.

Mikey (Matt Boren) has a life with all the standard responsibilities of a grown man. He has a wife and a new baby. He has a job with regular conference calls and business trips, and when one such trip takes him to New York City, he pays a visit to his parents and his childhood home. The thing is, he can’t quite bring himself to leave.

His extended absence begins innocently enough. He tells his parents that his flight was cancelled, phones his wife to inform her of the delay and asks a co-worker to cover for him until Tuesday—“Wednesday at the latest, but probably Tuesday.” He digs up his Garbage Pail Kids cards, an angry letter from a high-school ex and other bits of childhood nostalgia. But like during summers between school years, the time flies, and soon it’s time to reschedule that flight. Only, he still can’t do it. He serves up more excuses—this time with a large helping of lies—so he can continue to lounge around the apartment in his underwear, reading comic books. It’s when he stops making excuses and turns off his phone that things get serious. There are grave consequences for childish laziness in an adult world.

Boren brings just enough humor and internal conflict to the character to keep us sympathizing with Mikey, who has essentially become an irresponsible leech. Mikey’s parents (played by writer-director Azazel Jacobs’ real-life parents) are extraordinarily true-to-life in the delicate way they respond to their son’s endless imposition. Filmed almost entirely in an NYC loft apartment, the proceedings are intimate and subtle, but always engaging. Aspiring filmmakers take note: This is how you make a poignant and funny indie

The bottom line: ****