A Collection of Chemicals

Eccentric, bored recent widower Si Foster, a self-proclaimed eggplant connoisseur, is lonely. His daughter Sonya was kidnapped two years prior and, for reasons unknown to her, the ransom somehow wound up never being paid. As the Fourth of July approaches, he finally gets up the nerve to contact the kidnappers and pay the ransom. He is soon reunited with her...only to find that she has accepted her captors as her new family, and has grown to love them as such. Si is clueless and inept in interacting and trying to re-establish his relationship with her. But Sonya has a few tricks up her sleeve to get him to reveal why she was seemingly abandoned two years ago...with the help of some strange cargo she has brought back home with her.

Directed by Daniel Kremer, A Collection of Chemicals leans on a strong ensemble — William Cully Allen, Katya Quinn-Judge — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about comedy titles of 2009.