Displaying items by tag: Meghann Fahy

THE UNBREAKABLE BOY  

US, 2025, 109 minutes, Colour.

Zachary Levi, Meghann Fahey, Jacob Laval, Drew Powell, Gavin Warren, Patricia Heaton, Todd Terry, Kurt Yue, Peter Facinelli.

Directed by John Gunn.

This film is based on a non-fictional book, The Unbreakable Boy: A Father's Fear, a Son's Courage, and a Story of Unconditional Love," by Scott Michael LeRette and Susy Flory. And those are the themes.

With the title, this seems to be an emphasis on the boy himself, Austin, autistic, and with a rare brittle bone disease. However, he is a very cheerful child, happy with all those he comes into contact with. He is played with zest by Jacob Laval.

With the title of the book, there is an emphasis on the son’s courage. However, the focus of the film then goes to the parents, as indicated, the father’s fear, love for the boy, and the issue of the stress put on unconditional love within the context of the family. The mother and the brother also have two deal with the boy, the challenge to them. Zachary Levi is the father.

This is obviously a film with the message, a plea for some kind of empathy with the boy and his conditions, some kind of sympathy for the parents, the challenges, the difficulties, their own limitations in dealing with stressful situations.

1. Based on a true story? The photos and information at the end, decades after the story of the film?
2. The Oklahoma setting, Middle America, ordinary citizens, homes, work, debts? Family life? The breakable bones condition of mother and son? Injuries, burdens, hospitalisation, costs? And autism?
3. The narration by Austin, his nickname of Auzman? Age 13, the setting of the New Year’s Eve party, the behaviour of his father, drinking, driving home? The film going into flashback and eventually returning to this sequence?
4. Austin, the tone in verve of his narration, his explanation of his parents, their meeting, characters, the three dates, her pregnancy, her response, Scott’s response, his parents’ response, the upset and harangues by his mother? The birth and the broken ribs? Austin in pain, crying, the parents not knowing? Later discovering the truth? His bones, inherited, and is listing the number of breakages and their situations?
5. Scott and his character, with the character of Joe, his alter ego, always with him, sense of presence, the conversations, his reflection, conscience, and the final joke about his being God? The fact that Scott, despite everything, could have a challenging conscience?
6. Teresa, serving, Scott and the attraction, the talking, the dating, her pregnancy? The gradual revelation of her past, the two marriages and divorces, her alcoholic father, help from her sister? Her breakable bones condition? Love for Scott, the birth, the raising of Austin, discovery about his bones? The tensions between the two, the issue of marriage, the officiating, in a church?
7. Second pregnancy, the birth of Logan, no bone problems, not autistic?
8. Audience appreciation of autism? Austin’s particular type of autism, extroverted and enthusiastic, everything the best? OCD, obsessions, cataloguing his DVDs, his caps, his knowledge, accuracy? His mindset, the way he saw things? The response of his mother, care? The response of his father, not seeing him, the issue of medications, going to the institution for four days after his violent aggressive outburst, his assessment of the four days, his family adapting to him, Logan caring for him?
9. Austin at school, his nickname, exuberance, the issues with Tyler, the bully, friendship? Tyler later bullying Logan, the skateboard, Logan hitting him, the school principal, Logan and his wrapping the gift of the skateboard, the gift, the reconciliation? Austin’s explanation that Tyler was lonely, his hard life and family?
10. The response of the school, cheerful and Austin’s exuberance? His being the mascot of the games, change of moods, his father donning the Tiger’s head, his going out in joining in? The issue of his staying at the school, as help to his learning or not? The discussions with the principal? His returning to the school, the student signing the petition for his return? Returning to be the mascot?
11. The portrait of the married couple, Teresa, the obsession with video games, exasperation with Scott, the episodes, finding it too much, his drinking, ordering him out? The support from the preacher and the church congregation? Her religious motivations? Scott and his leaving, his absence, memories of her marriages and divorces?
12. Scott, his ambitions and hopes, his experience of marriage, fatherhood, his aspirations, drinking, absences? The presence of joke? His going to the AA meetings? The encounter with the preacher, his antipathy towards God, the preacher at the AA meetings? The change in attitude, Teresa pouring out all the alcohol? AA, his becoming sober, his return, the experience of the camp and Austin’s enthusiasm, all the activities with his father? Austin’s vision, flying in the clouds, the kite turning into a creature…?
13. An opportunity for ordinary audiences to reflect on marriage, parenting, problems and challenges, coping with issues? In the background of some faith dimensions?

DROP

US, 2025, 95 minutes, Colour.

Meaghann Fahy, Brandon Sklenar, Violett Beane, Jacob Robinson, Reed Diamond, Gabriele Ryan, Jeffery Self.

Directed by Christopher Landon.

Drop is a brief title for a brief, 90 minutes, mystery thriller. In 2024, M. Night Shyamalan had success with a brief title, Trap, tension and suspense in one location. And that is the case with Drop, quite a complex plot, devised by writer-director, Christopher Landon (very successful with the Paranormal Activity series and the two Happy Death Day thrillers).

The film opens with a violent prologue, an abusive husband confront his wife, his death. And then it emerges that the wife is a psychologist, interviewing clients, years passing and almost over the trauma of her husband’s death. She has a young son, entrusts him to her sister as she goes out for a date, a man she had been texting, a rendezvous at an exclusive Chicago restaurant, situated on very high storey (the location for a climactic vertigo-like situation).

Most of the action takes place at the restaurant, Violet, Meaghann Fahey, waiting for her date, in the meantime, some very good cameos to create the atmosphere, from the restaurant’s pianist, the hostess,  an oddball waiter on his first job, a lonely older man at the bar waiting for a blind date. Then her date, a photographer, Henry Campbell, Brandon Sklenar, arrives. So far, so ordinary. But, then the drops, DigiDrops, appear on Violet’s phone, increasingly sinister, increasingly mysterious, certainly disturbing for Violet and, audience empathising, disturbing for the audience as well.

A reviewer has to resist the temptation of elaborating on plot details. No spoilers. Suffice to say for review that there are quite a lot of twists, the realisation that the drops are originating in the restaurant itself, that there is surveillance going on, that not only is Violet being targeted, but also her date.

There will be a final revelation, the identity of who is sending the drops, the complex motivation in Violet’s response, using her wits to turn the tables. That vertigo -like climax.

And there is further drama with the discovery of masked gunmen at Violet’s home, threatening her sister and son, a second dramatic climax.

Whether this is realistic or not, whether the plot entirely make sense, is not the point. It is the immersing of the audience in this 90 minutes of tension.

1. Drop, the tag for the communications, the impact on Violet? The momentum of the drama?
2. The opening in the mood, the violence, women targeted, Violet and her fear, her husband and his viciousness, the baby? Setting the tone? The later reprisal of the scene, Violet blamed for killing her husband, his taunts, his killing himself?
3. Violet and her work as a counsellor, her client, the techniques, the importance of self-image and confidence? For Violet herself?
4. Her sister, encouraging her, the scenes with Toby, the toy truck (and its being crucial to the climax)? Jen and her comments on Violet’s dresses and make up? Violet and the correspondence with Henry over the months?
5. The glimpse of Chicago at night, the buildings, the lights? The restaurant, the clientele, the bar, her nervousness, having the drink, the encounter with Richard, his age, smiles, nervous, his date and her arrival? Henry arriving? The table, the meeting, the hopes for the date?
6. The Drop experience, the messages on the phone, and her concern about Toby? The messages coming through, her reaction, showing Henry, taking the issue lightly? The continued messages, the technique of displaying them right across the screen rather than close-ups of the phone?
7. The pressure on Violet, her fears, the threats to Toby and Jen, Violet and growing anxiety, the change of table, going to the restroom? The issue of spiking the drink? Her being watched? The technology and its having to come from within the restaurant? Cara and her friendliness at the bar, conversation, support, the issue of the drinks, violet surreptitious with the poison? Getting the drinks, Henry going to the bar? His drinking?
8. Violet and her looking at the suspects, sinister-looking men, then their dates arriving, the pianist, the comic interludes with the earnest waiter? The tension?
9. Richard, his date leaving, his smiles, his approaching Violet, the revelation of the truth, Henry as a star witness, the target for killing? Richard and his taunting of Violet? The phone, the killer, the camera in the home?
10. Violet turning the tables, talking with Richard, his dessert, her poisoning him? The gun, the anxiety of the guests, the struggle, the shooting of the window, the draft dragging him out, his death? Dragging Violet out the window, Henry pulling her in?
11. The violence, Henry being wounded, Cara being wounded? Violet leaving, the desperate drive in the car, the traffic, in the house, the killer, masked, the threats, Jen and her tactics, being shot? The risk to Toby? Violet in the house, the confrontations, the violence, the toy truck and the gun, Violet shooting?
12. The visit to the hospital, Jen and hospital care, and the bonding with Henry?