Father's Day

Father’s Day is a debut feature by Steve Beauregard. It tells the story of Quinn (Dennis Sanchez), who has 87 minutes to find and question a young, homeless alcoholic. He has shared the task with a lifelong friend Steve who acts as the cameraman, and Evert, who was hired for transport purposes. The number of characters and limited setting near a forest river determines the small world of the film. It is through clever dialogue and storytelling that its wider context is slowly revealed.

Arguably such concepts are the leading strengths of a film which offers a strange circumstance. There is a deep mystery created by the secretive dialogue, which withholds the full context but drops unfamiliar terms and meanings that belong to it. By essentially breadcrumbing the audience with unexplained information, we are kept engaged and committed to the plot which promises a revelation.

The eventual disclosure of the character’s circumstance delivers well and it directly affects the audience's position. A rule of the interaction Quinn hopes for is that every second must be recorded. Therefore, the audience are somewhat in debt to the cameraman who is the only reason our viewership is considered in the world of the story. This combined with the fact we are seeing through Steve’s eyes encourages viewers to associate more with the characters who introduce and close the film, despite not sharing their understanding of the situation. When this is revealed, the audience end up relating more with Jack’s outsider position. In turn the characters who the camera has been loyal to, become the outsiders. This manipulation of viewership and context favours the viewing experience.

As the main protagonists, Jack and Quinn have the most identifiable personalities. However Steve and Evert lack the same developed, detailed character. They are distinguishable in their attitude to their responsibilities in the story - Evert’s rebellious streak makes him a liable character in its trajectory. He is more self-centred than Steve, who shares a friendship with Quinn and is therefore more careful with his obligation. Their contrasting dynamic is enough to provide some entertainment value, but it had potential to create an additional narrative depth if their characters had been developed more. Similarly, the narrative between Jack and Quinn would have benefitted from dialogue that gradually increased in emotional depth and understanding or connection. The strange circumstance of the characters, which is cleverly hinted at from the beginning, instead causes rifts in their conversation. The development of their dialogue is often interrupted by spikes of confused questioning or misunderstanding, which sacrifices the sentimental aspect of their interaction. However by evading this choice, the disclosure of Quinn and Jack’s circumstance has a deeper, dramatic impact.

Overall, Father’s Day tells an interesting, surreal story, while keeping characters and even the audience at a distance until a final, significant revelation which alters the viewing experience.