Tackling

A father and his child spend meaningful time together on a rugby pitch.

This short drama focuses on an unstable father-and-daughter relationship. A man (Dukes) has taken his young daughter, Milly (Lee) to play rugby. However, she dislikes the sport and after a disappointing session, she asks him to take her home. Her father insists that the two of them carry on training for the day and offers her money if she manages to tackle him, resulting in the two them spending time on the empty field, having fun and getting emotional.

During its three-and-a-half-minute duration, this film does a decent job exploring the two protagonists and their relationship. Milly is a schoolgirl who lacks self-esteem but who can also stand up for herself if pushed too far. Her father is separated from her mother and he is stubborn a bit pushy and not as emotionally strong as he seems. The two of them have their differences, yet they care for each other deeply, which could be a message that the film communicates: just because people sometimes do not get along does not mean that they do not have positive feelings for each other.

The screenplay deals with a variety of themes, primarily self-esteem, parenthood and support. Milly's inability to believe in herself is more or less what drives the narrative forward, as her father repeatedly attempts to persuade her to train, much to her disliking. His decision to insist that she trains leads to joyful moments between them and to a confrontation that turns into bonding.

This short could be described as a sports drama. A father-and-daughter story that is set (to some extent) in the world of rugby and looks into the differences the two leads have between them and how they develop their relationship. It is a heart-warming story with strong perfomances by Lee and Dukes and the addition of the song I'll Get By by The Lathums was a great choice.