Amanda Peet and Matthew Shear Contemplate What’s Next in the Poignant ‘Fantasy Life’

After he’s laid off, panic-attack–prone paralegal Sam (Matthew Shear, who also wrote and directed) is reduced to taking a job as a manny for the three young daughters of Dianne (Amanda Peet). A once-promising actress, the now middle-aged mom is having her own crisis — she’s unhappily married to rock-star David (Alessandro Nivola), who’s heading out on tour, and she’s desperate to restart her career after a 10-year break.

Soon she finds an unlikely partner in commiseration as she and Sam begin bonding over Battlestar Galactica reruns as they both consider what comes next for them.

Despite the heavy themes, there are lots of light moments — Sam trying to convince the girls to watch E.T. (they strenuously resist) and go to bed on time (they strenuously resist), and his sessions with his shrink (a very funny Judd Hirsch), who doesn’t want to listen to Sam’s psychobabble when he can just reach for the prescription pad.

But it’s Peet’s turn as a woman enduring the mortification of being an over-40 actress who also feels she’s invisible to the whole world that makes Fantasy Life so poignant — and inspiring.

Fantasy Life | In theaters Friday, March 27 R