On the day piano prodigy Eli is to audition for a famous conservatory, he gets sidetracked by an attempt to stash his cocaine-addled mother, Penny, in rehab. When Penny is denied admittance, Eli enters into a bizarre partnership with her dealers.

Why Stop Now is an interesting independent film. I love these types of films, but I was excited about some of the cast in it. The film is exactly as described, a piano prodigy (Jesse Eisenberg), with the added twist that he has to get his mother to come back with a dirty drug test in order to be admitted to rehab. This leads to his involvement with the drug dealers (Tracy Morgan & Isiah Whitlock Jr.)

Well as much as the story idea is catching, there is major lack of the actual story-telling. The movie is easy enough to watch from start to end but leaves you a little bored in-between. You would expect that Tracy Morgan would add more of a needed humor relief that is not delivered. The acting is still well in this movie. Jesse Eisenberg acts as he usually does, but Melissa Leo who plays his mother Penny really distracts you from all the others trying to perform in this movie.

I will also mention the pointless love story between Eli & Chole (Sarah Ramos) that really drags the movie out at the end. The story could have done much better with out it. I honestly think they had some spare costumes laying around from a civil war themed film that the directors (Phil Dorling, Ron Nyswaner) really wanted to stick in there for some strange reason.

It is worth the watch if you appreciate independent films, but do not expect this to be a roll off your couch comedy. There is a good joke or two but that is it. It feels more like a scattered drama.