Daddy Don’t Go | A Documentary Film Review

As a single father for much of my life, I can attest to the very bitter truth that it can be tough. Being a dad is hard enough, but parenting alone or with little assistance is an even greater struggle. While much has often been made over the years in regards to a single mother’s plight – rightfully so, I might add – rarely is an eye turned to the fathers also carrying that role. With her new documentary, director Emily Abt aims to change that.

“Daddy Don’t Go” follows four young fathers, all from disadvantaged backgrounds, as they attempt to raise their children. They each come with their own polarizing circumstances: Nelson is jobless and raising 3 children that are not his own, Omar struggles with his 3 children due to a learning disability and the possible mental illness of one of his own, Roy has full custody of his son after serving 6 years in prison, and Alex has custody of his son while facing a severe jail sentence. They also come with the one thing that many say conquers all, love.

What “Daddy Don’t Go” takes a hard look at is that last part. Does love truly conquer all? Is it enough to endure even the darkest of days? It is well established throughout the film that each of these men deeply love their children, yet each is presented with their own specific complications to overcome in order to raise them as society, and courtrooms, demand. As a single teen father myself, who also began with a disadvantageous background, this is a film I was heavily focused on, cautiously dissecting every detail and perception. I have known men like this, I have been men like this. I know firsthand what it takes to persevere and overcome these odds, as well as what can set you back from the very life you are so desperate to attain.

This is where the film shines for me. Abt aims a dutiful eye on the facts in each of these young lives and refuses to shy away from the painful realities. For every societally engineered roadblock they encounter, they also repeatedly and realistically stumble over their lack of personal responsibility. Poor choices and worse judgment are part of any parents life, but when you are the sole provider, even more so. There is no sugar coating or finger-pointing in this film, this is a documentary not meant to make a statement, but to illuminate a truth and allow its audience to surmise their own conclusions.

These are not perfect men. These are flawed human beings, facing their own mistakes head-first into an uphill battle, with little-to-no respect from society as to what they’re up against. “Daddy Don’t Go” is a starkly honest portrait of what it means to be a father in the low-income harshness of modern America.

It can be brutal, occasionally tragic, and it will also warm your heart. Much like a father’s love.