Danny, portrayed by Chadbourne Hamblin, is physically beaten by his worthless father to the point that Danny is in a constant state of withdrawal from others and terrified of being home. On one occasion, Danny, wracked with a feeling of worthlessness, is driven to remove a handgun from his father's closet, but he quickly returns it. A fellow student, Justin, played by Stewart Calhoun, then befriends Danny, though Danny is very slow to accept the friendship. But Justin persists, and their bond grows, bringing some light into Danny's life at last. The light is shattered at school, however, when Justin gently touches Danny's badly bruised face after another beating. Nearby students misinterpret the gesture, and Danny's emotional trauma reaches critical mass. That afternoon, Justin finds his terribly distraught friend in a public park, and events reach a poignant conclusion.
The film is a brief look at the friendship of two boys in the crucible of physical abuse and student homophobia. The acting may not be Oscar level, but Hamblin's role as a tortured teen is credible and his pain is brutally palpable...to the point that he barely makes eye contact with anyone in the entire film--clear evidence of thoughtful film direction. Filmed in SoCal's San Fernando Valley, this 25-minute short will not disappoint.
