AMERICAN HUNGER

                                                  AN AMERICAN SHORT FILM

 

PRESENTED AT THE THEATER FOR THE "NEW CITY" ON MAY 25TH, 2013, AND DIRECTED BY ACCLAIMED DIRECTOR RON BEVERLY, THIS 'SHORT' CONCERNS ITSELF WITH THE NEW SOCIOLOGICAL PARADIGM OR "NEW NORMAL" IN AMERICAN SOCIETY.

 

ALTHOUGH IT WAS ONLY 12 MINUTES LONG, IT FELT LIKE IT WAS TWO HOURS LONG. THE CINEMATOGRAPHY IS ABSOLUTELY GENIUS!

 

MR. BEVERLY SURE KNOWS HOW TO DELIVER A "PUNCH" IN A MOST DIRECT, DRAMATIC, AND THOUGHT PROVOKING FASHION WHICH WILL HAVE ALL OF US RE-ASSESSING WHAT'S IMPORTANT AND WHAT'S VALUABLE IN OUR EVERYDAY LIVES AND IN OUR SOCIETY, IN PARTICULAR.

 

MELINDA JACKSON, A HARD  WORKING MIDDLE CLASS, TAX PAYING, GOD FEARIING AMERICAN CITIZEN BECOMES HOMELESS AND HUNGRY IN LESS THAN 24 MONTHS. LIKE SO MANY, THROUGH NO FAULT OF HER OWN, MELINDA'S AMERICAN DREAM HAS TURNED INTO  AN "AMERICAN HUNGER"

 

THIS IS THE "LOGLINE", WHICH IN SHORT, DESCRIBES WHAT THIS SHORT FILM IS ABOUT.

 

BUT WHEN YOU ACTUALLY WATCH THE FILM, THE SEQUENTIAL STEPS WHICH MELINDA SPIRALS DOWNWARD IS SO UNIVERSAL, THAT IT "STRUCK" A NERVE INTO THE "PRIMAL FEARS" IN ALL OF US; WHICH IS TO BE HOMELESS AND HUNGRY.

 

THERE IS NO GREATER VULNERABILITY THAN THIS-AND THE FACT THAT EVERY SINGLE AMERICAN IS ONE PAYCHECK FROM BEING "HOMELESS" (given the present state of our economy), PRETTY MUCH DRIVES IT HOME!

 

THE ACTORS WERE CONVINCING, COMPELLING, AND COMMITTED TO THEIR CHARACTERS AND WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THEM.

 

BUT WHAT CAUGHT ME, WAS THE "COMPASSION", THE "HUMANITY" WHICH PERMIATED THROUGH EACH CHARACTER; THE "ACTS" OF KINDNESS TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER, THE WARM, GENTLE SMILES OF THE HOMELESS MAN (Played by L.B. Williams), AND THE "SHARED" HOPELESSNESS OF THE EMPLOYEES, ALL  DEPICTED THE "HUMANITY" IN ALL OF US WHICH BECOMES THE REAL CASUALTY.

 

AMERICAN HUNGER DELIVERED THE GOODS AND IT  GETS FOUR STARS!!!