"Son of a Gun": An experience
March 1, 2008 at 8:12 p.m.
I raced over to the showing of Son of a Gun in order to make it to the six o'clock showing. I literally had to run down the road to make it on time. Luckily, they were still seating when I reached the entrance. I didn't even get a chance to realize that a man in a powder blue suit and a fake mustache was trying to ask me what movie I was going to. I later pieced together that he had been a part of the parade on Friday. I rushed into the theater with a few minutes to spare.
The show was on its second screening and the directors looked timid and nervous. With a brief word from both of them, the movie started rolling. I was so intrigued with the movie that I felt like I was there. The crowd reacted to the small details of the film, and I could feel a strong connection with each of the characters: 3 schizophrenic men and their 69 year-old "Dad" who live together as a non-traditional family.
There was a certain point in the film that made some audience members cringe. The "Dad", Larry, had recently been beaten up and was home from the hospital. His mouth kept bleeding and there was no censorship of the reality of what happened to him. I heard a few groans and most audience members later admitted they had just shut their eyes. I was so focused on not being sick that I almost failed to realize the man behind me saying, "Josh, Josh. Are you alright?" at more than just a whisper. The man next to me was the first to turn around. After I heard the voice again, curiosity made me turn in my seat.
At the first glance I thought the man, "Josh", was on the phone. With a second turn I realized that he had passed out. The man to my left offered his phone, but "Josh's" friend had already bolted out of the theater to find some help. "Josh" was left with a young woman who tried to wake him up. Her eyes were wide open and I was waiting for her to panic. Finally, the young man opened his eyes and grumbled a few words. He got up and made it out of the theater, stumbling up the stairs with the woman behind him. There were a few glances in his direction, but the audience seemed to be caught up in Larry's life.
The film ended and the directors stepped on the stage to take the spotlight. They had humorous side stories about living with this "family" for nine months. The updates on the group was just as entertaining as the film itself. The directors have created a strong bond with their subjects and still contact them.
This is the one thing that I have noticed throughout the film festival. Most, if not all, the producers create an everlasting bond with the subjects that they film. Relationships are formed and lives are changed, all through a small lens.
- Rachel Schroeder
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