Sam Harkness and his half-brother Reed go on a road trip to find their missing mom. But solving the mystery of her disappearance is only the beginning of their story.
What happens when a boy and his brother set off in search of their missing mom?
Sam Harkness and his Seattle family are shocked and heartbroken when his mother suddenly disappears. Tracking cryptic clues of her whereabouts years later, Sam and his half brother head out on a West Coast road trip to try and find her. But solving the mystery of her disappearance is only the beginning of their story.
As the narrative unfolds, we witness Sam coming of age as he tries to break free from a singular traumatic event, one that has replicated itself in his family for generations. Sobering revelations blend with playful home movies and vibrant experimental filmmaking by brother and director Reed Harkness.
The documentary follows Sam as he grows up, using a vivid collage of vintage fictional films, home videos, intimate family interviews and candid scenes from over the decades. We see him take a 2,000-mile road trip in search of answers. We learn of his mother Jois' complicated adoption history from Japan. And we experience the ripple effects on the Harkness family including Sam's brother Jared, father Randy and grandma Doris.
SAM NOW is about growth. The film balances heavy themes and emotional reckonings with youthful energy, lighthearted spirit and a lively soundtrack. Patterns from the past emerge and repeat, leading to thoughtful conversations and revealing insights coming years apart, amplified by the honest vulnerability of the subjects. The optimistic teenage Sam we get to know, with his heart set on finding his mom, grows into a man whose new hope is to break the generational cycle.
