elli2020

Saw this at the Treasure Coast film festival. Don't be fooled by the puppet characters and think this is just for kids. There is a lot of clever writing and the historical elements in this little holiday special are not only entertaining but also informative. Meeting Thomas Jefferson as President Washington tries to convince him to become the first Secretary of State was a fascinating way to introduce them to the kids. And seeing Abraham Lincoln as he ran for a Senate seat gave new insight into this future President.

Beautifully shot but the audio design is annoying. I found myself constantly adjusting the sound. Music is way too loud in parts- I figure it was a directors choice for effect- and if you adjust the sound then you miss the spoken words from the actors. I don't mind the historical inaccuracies and having the symbolic real railroad but after watching a few episodes it becomes laborous. Some of the violence seems to be over the top sensationalism for style.

Got to catch this at the Central Florida Film Festival. It's a nice independent feature that has some real honest moments with realistic characters. It would be nice to see more movies like this.