The Tao Of Steve

Director: Jenniphr Goodman


In this infectious blend of pop culture and philosophy, based on director and co-writer Jenniphr Goodman’s friend Duncan North, Donal Logue portrays Dex, an overweight thirty-two year old, highly intelligent underachiever who works with kids part time and spend the rest of his days playing Frisbee golf with his slacker friends, chasing women and perfecting his very own secrets of seduction aptly named The Tao of Steve. Inspired by the “prototypical cool males” like Steve McQueen and Groucho Marx’s belief that if one acts like a woman can’t get into their club, women will do almost anything to become a member—Dex’s three part theory of first eliminating his desire, secondly excelling at something in a female’s presence and then retreating so that they can be the hunters has proven quite successful in securing a revolving door of various women in his New Mexico home where he’s become quite an unlikely, infamous and legendary lothario. However, his confidence and reputation is put to the test when he meets Syd (Greer Goodman, co-writer of the film and the sister of the director), a former college classmate who returns to town on business to create the set-design for the local opera. When the hip and equally sharp Syd seems impervious to his attentions, Dex must reevaluate his entire theory in this cult comedy that was given a good boost not only from finding a fan in late night talk show host David Letterman but also becoming a huge sensation at the Sundance Film Festival where not only was it nominated for the Grand Jury Prize but also won a Special Jury Prize for what they heralded Logue’s “Outstanding Performance” and it is in fact his deserving and fully realized turn here that keeps his otherwise selfish character in the viewer’s hearts.