THE WOOL CAP is an edgy yet poignant drama that tells the story of Gigot, a mute building superintendent who is tortured by his past but finds new life when he befriends Lou, a bright young girl who is abandoned by her mother. Their troubled lives collide when each of them is tested to overcome their demons. However, by seeking out his estranged father (Beatty) and with the help of Ira (Rickles), an elderly tenant in Gigot's building and Gloria (O'Hara), Gigot's supportive girlfriend, Gigot and Lou are able to put their lives back together.

The well-worn, everyman face of William H. Macy anchors The Wool Cap, which carefully walks the perilous line between sentiment and sap. Gigot (Macy, Fargo), mute since a car accident damaged his throat, maintains a decaying apartment building where one of his tenants abruptly leaves--leaving behind her pre-teen daughter Lou (Keke Palmer, Akeelah and the Bee). Naturally, Gigot and Lou end up forming a make-shift family; but The Wool Cap is smart enough not to make the journey too simple or too easy. The movie takes intriguing side trips. Gigot's ambigious relationship with Gloria (the always great Catherine O'Hara, A Mighty Wind), troubles with his father (Ned Beatty, Hear My Song, Deliverance), and the trenchant rants of Ira (Don Rickles, Casino) give The Wool Cap a tart, bittersweet edge. Even the inevitable warmth between Gigot and Lou faces some hurdles to give it some richness. Based on a story by classic comedian Jackie Gleason (The Honeymooners), the screenplay for this well-produced TV movie was co-written by Macy himself. --Bret Fetzer