How My Dad Raised Three Boys Alone — And Inspired a Film About It

In 1985, my mom left our family. No big announcement. No dramatic exit. Just the reality that she needed something else — and didn’t feel cut out to raise three boys.

So my dad was left standing there. A 35-year-old salesman for a trucking company, with a mortgage, a rusting station wagon, and three kids under ten.

Me and my two brothers.

My Dad Didn’t Know How to Be a Single Parent. So, He Invented Guys Night.

He didn’t cry. At least not in front of us. He just did what a lot of dads in the 1980s did: he showed up. He kept working, kept the fridge stocked, and tried his best not to let the weight of it all crush him.

But there was one thing he did that was completely his.

Every Friday night, he’d pile us into the car, drive to the local video store, and tell us each to pick out one movie. No rules. No lectures. Just a VHS tape, a bag of chips, a can of pop, and staying up late.

He called it Guys Night.

It wasn’t fancy. We didn’t realize it was special. But now, decades later, I can see what he was doing. He was fighting for us — not by fixing everything, but by showing up week after week, letting us laugh, letting us be kids.

And trying, in his own quiet way, to hold the family together.

Writing This Film Helped Me Understand My Father

For most of my life, I saw my dad as strong — but closed off. Stoic. A provider. It wasn’t until I sat down to write Guys Night that I realized how much he had to hold in. The fear. The exhaustion. The heartbreak of being blamed for something he couldn’t control.

The story we’re telling in this film isn’t just about a father trying to raise three boys. It’s about how hard it is for men — especially in that era — to show love without knowing how. To grieve while leading. To let go when all you want to do is hold on.

I’ve come to see Guys Night not just as a family tradition, but as a love letter. To him. To other dads like him.

And to the kids still trying to understand the people who raised them.

Why We’re Making Guys Night Now

We’re aiming to shoot in 2026, back in my hometown — Hometown, Illinois. (Yes, it’s actually called that.)

We’ve got an incredible team on board: Emmy-winner Dave Eichhorn is directing. We’ve secured support from the local community and have strong interest from a 1980s icon actor to play the boys’ grandfather.

We’re also fiscally sponsored by IFA Chicago, which means that every donation to our project is 100% tax-deductible. We’ve been approved for the 30% Illinois film tax credit — and once we raise our initial funds, we’ll unlock the rest through a financing match.

But this isn’t just about raising money. It’s about making something that matters.

This Story Is for Anyone Who’s Ever Had to Let Go — and Still Chose to Stay

Guys Night is about resilience. It’s about the emotional silence a lot of men live in. It’s about how showing up — even when you’re falling apart — is an act of love.

If you believe in this kind of story — if it reminds you of your dad, your mom, your brother, or your own childhood — I’d be honored if you’d consider supporting us.

🎬 Donate here — givebutter.com/guysnight

📽️ Watch our EPK video

Thank you for reading, and thank you for being part of this.

— Niko Vitacco
Writer | Producer | Actor — Guys Night

“You can’t win every battle with your kids. You try to win the war — and the war is raising them right.”

That’s a line you’ll hear in the film I’m making. It’s also the line that saved my dad.