This charming independent drama has been released without fanfare, with no publicity, and no reviews by significant print or media outlets.
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| After an initial misunderstanding, Eric (Beau Bridges, right) quickly apologizes and does his best to make amends with the understably wary Oscar (Miguel Gabriel). |
The result, a quietly compelling ode to the power of mentorship, deserves much better exposure than it’s likely to receive.
The setting is present-day Jasper’s Cove, a small coastal California fishing community. (The 18-day shoot actually took place in and around Morro Bay; locals will recognize famous landmarks such as Morro Rock and the Piedras Blancas Light Station.)
The community is struggling, due to the local waters having been overfished. Veteran fisherman such as Frank Flynn (the always engaging Davison) and Manny (Jorge-Luis Pallo) have their backs against the financial wall; the latter contemplates selling his beloved boat. Jasper’s Cove has become, as one character later puts it, “a place where fun goes to die.”
But 9-year-old Oscar (Gabriel) is oblivious to all this. Although a newcomer, he has quickly become a ubiquitous wanderer in town and the surrounding area, never seen without a vintage twin-lens reflex film camera slung around his neck, and hanging onto his chest. But the camera is damaged, and cannot be used.
Oscar is mute, due to complications from life-saving surgery when he was younger, which makes him the frequent target of a trio of contemptible adolescent bullies.
Oscar’s mother, Evelyn (Jessica Parker Kennedy), does her best with him; she has taught him to communicate via a series of flash cards bearing common greetings, questions and responses. He’s by no means slow; he can hear and understand perfectly, and seems intelligent for his age. But he’s also shy, self-conscious and easily frightened; he wears vulnerability like a shroud, which makes him an easy target for the aforementioned young thugs.
The recently widowed Evelyn has just moved them to Jasper’s Cove. She works hard, as a single parent trying to hold her little family together, and therefore can’t watch over her son as much as she’d like.
A fleeting misunderstanding brings Oscar to the attention of local repair shop owner Eric Conway (Bridges, 82 years young). Their initial encounter begins horribly, when Eric — a longtime photographer — mistakenly believes that Oscar has stolen the camera from his shop, and snatches it away. The stricken look on Gabriel’s face, as the shattered little boy walks away — absolutely devastated — is almost too much to bear.
But Eric quickly realizes his error, calls Oscar back, and hastily makes amends; the boy, just as quickly relieved and reassured, latches onto the older man like a puppy. Eric examines the camera, explains that he can fix it, and offers his own more-or-less identical vintage camera as a loaner. He loads it with a roll of film, and — with the warm enthusiasm of a born teacher — tells Oscar to choose his compositions wisely, to “make every frame count.”
“It still works fine,” Eric continues, with Bridges’ signature twinkle, “but not much use for it.”
Clearly, he’s also thinking of himself.
As the days pass, their bond grows; Eric explains the joys of “old analog tech,” and the ability of a single photograph to depict an entire story. They spend more time together, including beach walks and (literal) field trips. We eventually learn that Oscar’s camera belonged to his late father, and truly is more precious than words could express, even were he able to do so.
Meanwhile...
Bar owner Dermot Flynn (Ross Partridge), Frank’s son, has been courting outside developers to build a series of condominiums, claiming this will “revitalize” the town (and, not coincidentally, make him a lot of money). Frank, Manny and many of the other townsfolk are horrified by this plan, believing — correctly — that it would destroy their town’s character.
Others, though, recognize that something needs to be done.
To make matters worse, Evelyn and Oscar receive an unexpected visit from her ne’er-do-well brother, Victor (Scotty Tovar). Although the boy is enchanted by this gregarious, glad-handing male family member, we immediately recognize the guy to be Totally Bad News. Tovar excels at Victor’s smarm, hustling nature and deplorable behavior.
Partridge, in contrast, makes Dermot a subtler villain ... which he finds difficult to pull off, in such a close-knit community, where everybody knows everybody else’s business.
Silverman’s modest movie credits aside, he’s also an award-winning stills photographer, with more than four decades’ experience; this shows in the way that he and cinematographer Andrew Jeric compose many of this film’s backdrops and establishing shots. The result — as with the carefully chosen photographs that Oscar takes, as time passes — becomes a tribute to the delicate art of capturing moments.
That said, Bridges and Gabriel carry this story’s heart. Movies have brought us an endless supply of eccentric and/or mildly crusty old coots, but Bridges brings fresh depth to his character. Everybody should have an Eric in their lives.
Gabriel is a revelation. He delivers a powerfully nuanced performance, laden with depth and all manner of emotion, without speaking a word. He’s also a born scene-stealer, even when doing nothing; Jeric’s camera loves him.
Dave Holden’s lyrical, piano-based score is the cherry on top: note-perfect in every scene, and a key part of the film’s often wistful atmosphere.
Although Murphy and Gamache’s story builds to a finale of sorts, a few issues are left unresolved; such is the nature of real life.
This one’s a keeper ... but have plenty of Kleenex handy. You’ll need ’em.
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