A television writer nominated for five Emmy Awards, Michael Weithorn has had a successful career dating back to the early 1980s — mostly in sitcoms, from Family Ties, The Wonder Years and True Colors up through Ned and Stacey and The King of Queens. For his feature film debut as both a writer and director, however, Weithorn toned down the overt laughs, and instead took aim at something a bit more melancholic, laced with a quieter humor. Set in suburban Long Island in the summer following the September 11 attacks, A Little Help centers on a dental hygienist and mother, Laura (Jenna Fischer), whose marriage has become tense and loveless, and whose 12-year-old son Dennis (Daniel Yelsky) has become sullen and resentful. I recently had the chance to speak to Weithorn one-on-one, talking about the challenges of putting together an independent production, what it’s like to shoot in your high school hometown, and his own history of lying. The conversation is excerpted over at ShockYa.