Guest Artist is a drama film directed by Timothy Busfield and starring Jeff Daniels and Thomas Macias. The film follows the heated exchange between Joseph Harris, a celebrated playwright, and Kenneth Waters, a young aspiring writer whose admiration for Harris is mixed with resentment toward his idol's drinking and cynicism.
Harris, who has come to Michigan to work on his latest play, is disillusioned with the small-town theater and its actors, and he's eager to return to New York. Meanwhile, Waters sees Harris as a symbol of a vanished era of artistic integrity and hopes to learn from the master. Despite their differences, the two men engage in a lively conversation, challenging and inspiring each other.
As the night progresses, tensions rise, and both men begin to expose their vulnerabilities and fears. Harris reveals his regrets about his career, his personal life, and his broken relationship with his daughter. Waters, on the other hand, confronts his own doubts and fears about his artistic abilities and the possibility of success.
Guest Artist is a poignant and insightful film that explores the complexity of artistic creation, the beauty and pain of human relationships, and the enduring power of imagination and hope in the face of disappointment and despair.