Gowanus, Brooklyn (2004)

Director:

Ryan Fleck

Writers:

Anna Boden (writer)
Ryan Fleck (writer)

Genre:

Short

Plot:

A young girl investigates her curious teacher's life.

Plot Keywords:

Observation | African American | Philosophical | Mother | Mother Daughter Relationship

Awards:

3 wins

Cast

Karen Chilton	...	Drey's mother
Shareeka Epps	...	Drey
Matt Kerr	...	Mr. Dunne

Runtime:

19 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Screenplay Series with Syd Field (2007)

Read Bob the Moo's review--it gives insights that explain why this film was made in the first place.

My review is based on never having seen HALF NELSON and I am thankful for Bob the Moo for explaining the context for this short film. It seems that Bob and I have odd taste because we both love short films and when he explained this film was made to be used as a "pitch", then it makes a lot of sense. I've seen a lot of similar films made by young and inexperienced film makers. Unlike shorts made in the golden age of Hollywood, these films were NOT meant to be shown to a wider audience and were more like demo-tapes--to be seen by potential financial backers so that money could be obtained to make a feature-length film. In this context, I can clearly understand why GOWANUS, BROOKLYN was made and why it had such a disjoint and incomplete look about it. You see, instead of a complete narrative, you just catch an unsatisfying glimpse of the main character's life. Nothing is resolved and so much waits to be explained. In this context, the film isn't bad from a technical standpoint, but someone like myself why didn't see HALF NELSON will be no doubt confused and left feeling unsatisfied. Try not to see this film without seeing HALF NELSON first--otherwise, you, too, will feel unfulfilled.