| Surrogate Valentine | |
| Producer: | Duane Andersen Dave Boyle Gary Chou Alex Cannon Paul Cannon Michael Lerman |
| Starring: | Goh Nakamura Chadd Stoops Lynn Chen Parry Shen Calpernia Addams Joy Osmanski Eric M. Levy Mary Cavett |
| Music: | Goh Nakamura |
| Cinematography: | Bill Otto |
| Editing: | Duane Andersen Dave Boyle Michael Lerman |
| Distributor: | Tiger Industry Films Brainwave |
| Runtime: | 1 hour 14 minutes |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
Surrogate Valentine is a 2011 independent comedy film directed and produced by Dave Boyle.[1] The film's plot concerns a musician named Goh Nakamura, playing a fictionalized version of himself.[2] It is the first in a trilogy following Nakamura's character, followed by Daylight Savings (2012) and I Will Make You Mine (2020).[3]
San Francisco indie musician Goh Nakamura lives a life playing shows on the road. He reconnects with his high school crush, and is hired to teach an actor, Danny Turner, how to play guitar for a film role.[2]
Critical response to the film was generally positive. Rotten Tomatoes reports a 60% approval rating based on 5 reviews.[4]
John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter called the film "a slight, but amiable buddy comedy" as well as saying that it "offers a certain mild slacker charm".[5] Michelle Orange of The Village Voice also gave a positive review of the film saying that it "cultivates a sweet, shucksy tone that wears thin in some of the early scenes, but ultimately deepens into genuine heart".[6] David DeWitt of The New York Times wrote that the film "sometimes catches an insightful moment in the offstage lives of gigging musicians, and shots of San Francisco have photo-realist charm. But the story never asserts itself in any dramatic or comedic or even home-movie fashion."[2]