“CUT.”
“CUT.”
“CUT.”
We can’t share that, it’s too embarrassing.
Pan over to arbutus tree in backyard with tire swing hanging from its largest branch. Wow! What a sight. The tree must be close to a hundred years old. There are still rickety steps nailed into the trunk from the previous home owners. Okay – panning across the yard, great wide-angle shot… coming around to the home – and zooming in on the family. Oh. At first glance it looks like these are cardboard cutouts… wait, there are small fingers there – holding onto the sides.
This family seems to have chosen to hide behind a one-dimensional version of themselves.
Let’s see. There’s a father. Tall, athletic build – worn sort of face with a clenched smile – trying to add a twinkle to his eye for audience compassion effect but creating more of a surprised cast-to-stone look.
There’s the family pet. A medium-sized Shelty seated and facing off to the right. The mother is there too – front and center – perfectly posed and poised as her cardboard cutout self – she seems to have her socks matching her purse which matches her belt and accessories. The sound is on and we can here her snapping and barking orders at her kids.
There are two daughters – one has messy red hair and mismatching socks – she has a very large grin juxtaposed with a furrowed brow and deeply sad eyes. The last daughter – the Eldest – is wishing she could be anywhere but here – the cardboard cutout she holds in front of her is balanced urgently on one leg – not like a flamingo resting – more like an animal trying to avoid being eaten. Always ready to take off – dodge out of harms way.
There they stood – flat, glossy – moving ever so slightly when something would occur between the real characters in the background.
They stood in front of a brown rancher, on a 5-acre property – Japanese Maple full behind them.
“Ummm…”, the director thought – how can we make a reality TV show out of a family that only wants to show us their attempt at perfection.
The wind blew – and the crew noticed the cutouts fall down – there were accolades written on their backs.
where rivers are born 