I enjoyed this, Chris. Good writing, directing and production values. (Kinda odd audio choices in places, but ...) Good acting. Good pacing, good editing. The father-daughter dynamic is poignant and smart. Likable, sympathetic people. They pull a person in. I can hear them thinking. Or I think I can. Would I change anything? Yes, but maybe owing mainly to the fact that I’m not a parent and feel no particular reverence toward parenthood. I’d have made what the daughter did a secret between her and the waitress, sealed after a quick and understated moment of decision for the waitress about whether to accept a child’s money. High stakes, after all. But the child would triumph and when the father returned, he'd be allowed to believe that his credit card had been accepted. We might see a wink exchanged between the daughter and waitress, followed by a “life goes on” shot of the waitress clearing off the table as the father and daughter walk away. As it was, the resolution felt pat to me, fan of dark ambiguity that I am. The themes you introduce seem … I don’t know … somehow incompatible with neatness. Realism and happy endings are strange bedfellows. I also wanted the daughter to come completely into her own, possibly at the cost of hammering home the fact that her charming father is ineffectual. Role reversal. On the other hand, maybe I need to remind myself that this is a celebration of something that I hardly understand. The two people I’ve shown the film – J. Michael Craig and BJ Koonce - have been most impressed. And make no mistake … I’m glad to live in a town where people like you produce such work. It raises all ships. In my own lethargic way, I’m a fan.
Tim. The point you make is valid. I went back and forth on this very issue quite a bit in the planning...even shot it both ways. The reason I went with Dad knowing about the Girl's gift had very little to do with the parent/child dynamic. Ultimately, I see this story as being about a seemingly weaker person caring for someone stronger or more capable. It is excruciating for me to let anyone take care of me...provide for me..."save" me. I feel like I've been diminished somehow if that happens. GOOD LIFE gives me a chance to stare that down a bit...face up to someone taking care of me...accept it. So, ultimately, that's why I went with the Dad knowing he'd been saved. I do think it might have been more satisfying as you describe, though.
Nice.
ReplyDeleteVery nice.
Good job you two.
I think she has her daddy's anointing.
I enjoyed this, Chris. Good writing, directing and production values. (Kinda odd audio choices in places, but ...) Good acting. Good pacing, good editing. The father-daughter dynamic is poignant and smart. Likable, sympathetic people. They pull a person in. I can hear them thinking. Or I think I can.
ReplyDeleteWould I change anything? Yes, but maybe owing mainly to the fact that I’m not a parent and feel no particular reverence toward parenthood.
I’d have made what the daughter did a secret between her and the waitress, sealed after a quick and understated moment of decision for the waitress about whether to accept a child’s money. High stakes, after all. But the child would triumph and when the father returned, he'd be allowed to believe that his credit card had been accepted. We might see a wink exchanged between the daughter and waitress, followed by a “life goes on” shot of the waitress clearing off the table as the father and daughter walk away.
As it was, the resolution felt pat to me, fan of dark ambiguity that I am. The themes you introduce seem … I don’t know … somehow incompatible with neatness. Realism and happy endings are strange bedfellows.
I also wanted the daughter to come completely into her own, possibly at the cost of hammering home the fact that her charming father is ineffectual. Role reversal.
On the other hand, maybe I need to remind myself that this is a celebration of something that I hardly understand. The two people I’ve shown the film – J. Michael Craig and BJ Koonce - have been most impressed.
And make no mistake … I’m glad to live in a town where people like you produce such work. It raises all ships. In my own lethargic way, I’m a fan.
Tim. The point you make is valid. I went back and forth on this very issue quite a bit in the planning...even shot it both ways. The reason I went with Dad knowing about the Girl's gift had very little to do with the parent/child dynamic. Ultimately, I see this story as being about a seemingly weaker person caring for someone stronger or more capable. It is excruciating for me to let anyone take care of me...provide for me..."save" me. I feel like I've been diminished somehow if that happens. GOOD LIFE gives me a chance to stare that down a bit...face up to someone taking care of me...accept it. So, ultimately, that's why I went with the Dad knowing he'd been saved. I do think it might have been more satisfying as you describe, though.
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