There is a good buddy film in each and every one of us, or at least some would say. Over the years of American cinema, they have come in all shapes and sizes, varying from the downright stupid and funny to the most mellow-dramatic and “tear-jerking.” Whether you have one that is a mainstay for you as a cult classic, which you would line up to see at a midnight showing in an old, landmark movie theater, OR, a face-palming work of cake and sugar, which has you grasping for a shot of insulin, in a temporary state of diabetic shock, THESE movies bounce around inside your head like a repetitious pop rock tune of the Brittney Spears/Lady Gaga silk and thread.
To a lesser extent than, say, “Harold and Kumar go to White Castle,” the titular location is, more or less, a Mecca-like symbol; a place that represents comfort and escape for the weary travelers, at least for the lead characters in the story for THAT moment in time. THEY happen to be Harper, played by Bridey Elliot, and Allie, played by Claire McNulty. The two could not be anymore different than a Chicago deep dish and a New York thin and greasy. We don’t always know what leads people to be the best of friends. Sometimes, they could’ve just as easily been the worst of enemies. Throughout the majority of the film, Harper and Allie appear to be destined for a big separation. However, when you know each other as well as these two do, you know what is likely to happen and you share that insight with everyone EXCEPT the friend in question.
“Fort Tilden” might have a more interesting tale in how it came to BE a movie, rather than the tale within the film, itself. Co-written and co-directed by Sarah Violet-Bliss(“The Color of Time”) and Charles Rogers, the project sought its final funding through a Kickstarter campaign, which led to its worldwide debut at last year’s SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas. It was, then, picked up by the revived film studio, Orion, and a year later, it is set for wider release to the general public.
The trend in story telling today, at least for the character-driven movies, is to create something that might be closer to real life. For years, the words “inspired by (or based on) true events” have led to some phenomenal receptions, but the rest of the world wants to be heard, as well. Last year, many moviegoers were captivated by the dedication of filmmaking in “Boyhood,” which, much like “Fort Tilden,” was not about exemplary people, but, rather, everyday, hard-working and average people like the bulk of us. Something struck me as I watched the final credits role for “Fort Tilden” that did NOT strike me when I was in the same position, watching “Boyhood.” People have different reasons for taking the time to watch a movie, but one thing that almost everyone wants to see is a story about people they can relate to.
However, we don’t need those people to be LIKE us, in order to relate to them. It makes an average person feel good when he or she sees someone of higher status or achievement tripping and falling on the sidewalk, for example. It isn’t because we like to see successful people falter. It is because it reminds us that they are, in fact, still human beings. Would you have that same reaction if you saw a crippled, homeless man doing the same thing? A-ha! THIS was the fundamental issue I had with “Fort Tilden” and might continue to have with similar movies. The people in this story are unimpressive. They appear to be dynamic, but prove to be static. They are mostly unlikable, which makes them less interesting, but it is because they DO nothing, that this is a real problem. When you aim to make a life-like story about people and how they do NOT learn from their mistakes or change at ALL, for better or worse, what are you left with in the end? Is there anything worse than that sinking feeling you have when you have attempted to accomplish something and not only failed, but discovered, in your moment of clarity, that you were right back where you just started? Remember this: a moment of clarity is like a “reality check.” Do nothing and reality will do nothing, either. That was what THIS film did for me because of that revelation: NOTHING!
