This light-touch, bittersweet beauty of a story about the relationship between an uncle and his young nephew envelops you in its quiet loveliness.

Quietly, shamblingly human after the spectacular derangement of Joker, [Phoenix] plays Johnny with an inconsistent complicated history of care and affection woven into his slouchy body language and muted line readings.

It’s as if the film’s real purpose were to reassure an educated, progressive audience, full of worries about themselves and the world, that their lives are in some basic sense OK.

Over and over, through enchanting cinematography and nuanced, compassionate performances, “C’mon C’mon” reminds us that while there are certainly things to fear, there are things to treasure as well.