American Spirit, a film based and filmed in Austin, World Premiered at the Austin Film Festival in October. This movie is the feature directorial debut from Christopher Yates. It explores questions of identity and evolving iterations of self and timely conversations around the transition from youth into adulthood. Yates is the writer/director for American Spirit, with credits for three shorts, for which the filmmaker also wrote and directed his script. (IMDb)
Synopsis
Melody and Jonathan dated in high school, but that was four years ago. Now dating someone new, Melody is forced to retread her past missteps and question what comes next after a chance encounter with Jonathan.
This drama, romance feature film is focused on two individuals dating in high school for a brief time and now coincidentally run into each other on the University of Texas campus in Austin. They have never talked to each other in years or spoken about the breakup. Melody (Yasmeen Fletcher, “Ms. Marvel” TV Mini-Series) and Jonathan (Cooper Roth, “Never Have I Ever” TV Series) are out at 2 am after their respective events, and the encounter is unexpected yet pleasant. They agree to take a walk and catch up after a slight awkwardness.
Melody seems all over the map in her conversation with Jonathan, yet he seems glad to be in her company, keeping the conversation light and gentlemanly. Fletcher is excellent in portraying this character who appears not to have her act together – be it immaturity or because she is “buzzed” as she describes her behavior after coming from a party. She did an outstanding job of being likable, yet some scenes in the interaction with Jonathan made me dislike the character the more she talked. It made me want to tell Jonathan to open his eyes to her abrasiveness – unkind to a degree to this young man who clearly appears to be interested in her, yet keeping his distance.
Relationships are not easy – friendship or otherwise. The years in high school are one thing, and college is another. Confronting the past about choices is also not good, especially when “buzzed” and catching the other individual off guard as dawn approaches. The script is well written, and the actors show how messy it can be when not thought through thoroughly. Jonathan remains kind and open to hearing her out after she reaches out to him after her outburst.
The cinematography by Eric Johnsen is excellent. It captures some great scenes of the campus as the two leads walk and talk, as well as off campus and in the general vicinity of campus students eating and/or gathering. He has a talent for capturing Melody’s various emotions in her interaction with Jonathan, as well as his happiness and the pain of her behavior.
Runtime: 1 hour and 48 minutes. Follow the filmmaker to see where the film will be screened again.
Source: AFF, IMDb