WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
The wayward mind. It can re-think, rationalize, justify, and drive us forward into choices that might deliver adverse results we’d never anticipated. Yet even in such a haze of confusion and misguided logic, can there be a release, a freedom found in accepting the aid of another–or will we simply brush any help aside for the sake of what we feel is a more powerful, compulsive force. The hour is late, and a small town roadside diner has become a meeting point for two people whose lives are forever intertwined–a father (Jim Meskimen) and his son (Nick Lane).
It starts as any usual encounter between a parent and child, the veteran of life seeking to connect on a deeper level with a young man battling an already jaded past with drug addiction and the street, the former expressing the kind of protective, matriarchal concern for his son’s well-being that is greeted with the not-so-veiled annoyance and impatience from the latter, who’s more than tired of “hearing it all the time”. Yet, when the conversation reveals an unexpectedly tragic and ominous secret one of them carries, the atmosphere changes, and roles may become inexorably shifted.
Next, my Mind:
There’s an epidemic that’s sweeping this country away faster, it seems, than anyone can truly impact and/or stop its progress–drug addiction, specifically heroin. The methods, means, attitudes, rationales, burden on family, and, more frighteningly, the paralyzing ease in which one can fall into this world of dependency, craving, and weakness is addressed with acute precision and decisive intent through director/executive producer Taron Lexton’s eight and a half minute indie short film. What strikes you more–this is a necessary reminder to an issue that requires far more attention, which is the beauty of character-driven film and filmmakers willing to tackle said issues with a more pointed approach that is made to impact the mind, stir up the sense of need, and perhaps then engage the viewer to take action, all while still providing the basic level of entertainment the medium of film should. There’s an urgency expressed in each character we witness here that goes so far beyond just some typical interaction between father and son, and it’s this purposeful execution of the narrative that only drives the greater themes being explored home, adding what this reviewer felt was a clever twist on the events depicted. Plus, as the camera work deftly embraces the two characters, one might even venture to acknowledge “Wow. That could even be ME!”, as it is folly to think any of us are above or immune to the circumstances shown here. It’s a cautionary tale to its core, well-conceived, affectingly presented, and relevant.
Meskimen delivers a wonderfully grounded, authentic, and both quietly and conspicuously intense performance as the father, a man of genuine concern and love for his family, almost the prototypical Dad, whose taken time from his day to make sure he can touch base with a somewhat estranged son trying to turn his life around. His sincere yet firm resolve to ensure his son has not fallen back into bad habits is understandable and reasonable, yet one can also tell he’s perhaps a little overbearing in the scrutiny he’s putting forth. Yet, there manifests a totally unforeseen vulnerability, frustration, and desperation from within him that shocks even his still mildly recalcitrant son, and it provides such tangibly provocative moments during the film’s final act, lending weight to the message, and giving much to consider about the narrative’s concepts, all of it so well-played by Meskimen.
Likewise, Lane provides us a beautifully uncomplicated and realistic portrayal of the rebellious son, a boy-turned-young man who’s been through the ringer and then some from an early age by choices less than stellar to his mental or physical health. Yet, having apparently come out of those decisions, he sees what he most likely deems as overly incessant “nagging” from his father as a tedious endeavor, and therefore an excuse to just “go with it”, say he’s fine, and leave. But watching as the factors involved with the conversation taking place drastically alter, he transforms into much of a more adult demeanor, and the entire notion of responsibility on top of deep uneasiness and consternation hit him with unanticipated measure. Throughout, it’s all enacted with ease and equal believability by Lane.
A few supporting turns are present here from Michael Klaumann as another diner patron and Tamra Meskimen as the diner’s waitress. In total, “Son To Son” is very much a multi-faceted thematic journey that brings the dangers and realities of drug addiction to vivid life while illustrating the devastating consequences from two perspectives that it can all cause. It’s innocence to enslavement under the influence of a monster, and it’s high time we take better notice of it, become more ready to face it, and ideally in some form, whether big or small, become a part of critically needed solutions.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
Thanks for the kind words about Son to Son. I wrote it hoping it would help others to feel the astonishment I felt after reading an article in Freedom magazine about this crisis.
As the son of an alcoholic, I felt like I knew what the pitfalls are with substances. After reading the article, I felt like I was a babe in the woods. I’m delighted that Son to Son is helping audiences to broaden their perspective about this disaster.
Very best to you.