Mr. Roosevelt shows what happens when a struggling comedian returns home to Austin to bury her cat.

It’s the directorial debut for Saturday Night Live alumnus Noël Wells.  SNL may not be for everyone but that doesn’t mean that cast members can’t be successful following a short stint.  Her performances in The Incredible Jessica James and her work on Mr. Roosevelt shows that a brief career on SNL isn’t the end of the world.  She brings the whole package here with acting, writing, and directing.

Wells leads a cast that includes Nick Thune, Britt Lower, Daniella Pineda, Andre Hyland, Doug Benson, Armen Weitzman, and Sergio Cilli.

Wells stars as Emily Martin, a struggling comedian who finds out that her cat is dying and rushes back home to Austin.  She had moved to LA with hopes of a career in comedy and left her cat with her boyfriend in Texas.  Upon coming back home, she finds herself intimidated by his new girlfriend.  In Texas and staying at their place for the weekend, Emily catches up with old acquaintances as she tries not to lose it in front of the new girlfriend.  Emily might not be the most likable character but it was her choice to move away.

Mr. Roosevelt debuted this past March at SXSW.  The film has yet to be picked up by a distributor but Wells said during a Q&A on Wednesday night that they are hoping for a theatrical release.