Where I Begin (2011)

Directed by Thomas L. Phillips

Starring Alex Walters, Candice Michele Barley and Bo Keister

Runtime 75min. - Not Rated

3 Stars (out of 4)

Screener provided by a cast member. "Where I Begin" is coming soon to DVD.

They say time heals all wounds. They also say life is short. If a wound is big enough, is there enough time for it to heal while we're still alive? That's the question at the center of "Where I Begin". It takes in a small unnamed town that has largely been forgotten by time. You know the type; one of those little towns that contains a factory to which every citizen is connected in some way. When the factory closes, the town dies. Most of the townsfolk have retreated to a trailer park just outside of town. The few that remain have definite ties to the plot. It may seem like a shortcut to keep the cast small and the costs down, but it makes sense when viewed in context. The story is all about people who can't let go of the past. They live in a ghost town where they are constantly reminded of events that unfolded there a decade ago.


The story revolves around a young man named Jacob (Walters). He's just returned to town after 10 years of exile. He stops by a greasy spoon where a bartender remains as one of his few allies. The establishment used to thrive when the factory was there to bolster the economy, these days it mostly exists for coffee and gossip. It serves both purposes well and pretty soon the whole town knows that Jacob is back.

Whatever Jacob did, Haddy (Barley) isn't one to judge. Her father was once the sheriff before he got accused of breaking the law. It's never spelled out for us, but I think he was profiting from a prostitution ring, or perhaps he was just a patron. He was never arrested, but like Jacob, he was exiled by the locals and is now forced to use his daughter to run public errands. Due to her father's isolation Haddy has a low opinion of the town's tolerance level and sympathizes with Jacob's situation.

Sometimes trouble has a name, in the film it's Tyler (Keister). From his first scene it's obvious that Tyler has very little patience and a propensity for violence. Tyler offers his girlfriend drugs in exchange for sexual favors, but not getting beaten may be a better reason. Whatever Jacob has done, it involves Tyler. When he hears that Jacob is back in town he turns into a hunter. He stalks the streets and lurks outside of seedy motels in hopes of catching his prey. The two of them play a cat and mouse game with Tyler growing ever more irate with each missed opportunity. Suspense builds on the looming showdown. It's a crafty bit of story telling.

Jacob is in town for confrontation, just not the physical kind. He stops by his mother's house and instead finds his former home is a busted up derelict. He finds out from Haddy that his mother moved to the trailer park after the town's economic collapse. He has a lot he wants to tell her. It's revealed later that he's been writing his mom a letter for 10 years, adding a little to it everyday. When he finally sees her after the long absence he has only one question, "why?". Why didn't she trust him? Why didn't she protect him? Why didn't she believe his side of the story? He sobs, screams, and repeats over and over, "You're my mom; you were supposed to believe ME!". This scene oozes with emotion thanks in part to the efforts of Cindy Hogan who plays Jacob's mother. She found a way to simultaneously be relieved to see her son again, angry at his presence, and scared for his safety. She claims not to believe her son, but it's left open to interpretation. It's possible that participating in his exile and sticking to her story is the only way to ensure safety for both of them.

That scene alone would make the film worth a watch, but the final showdown elicited an emotional response of equal potency. When Tyler finally sees Jacob it's as if he's been transported back in time. All of the sudden he's living in the day after the incident that changed his life. He beats Jacob mercilessly. It's not just anger that's showing, but confusion and sadness. I've spoken with Bo Keister (Tyler), who tells me the scene exhausted him both physically and emotionally. It's easy to see why. He left 100% of his emotion on screen. As the beating progresses and is finally stopped, I ceased to see Tyler as a villain and began to think of him as a victim. The entire population of the town consists of victims.

The movie features original acoustic rock by Robert Earl Reed. It's really some terrific Americana music, but could've been used a little better. The most memorable songs take place during montages. Like all montages, they are used as interludes in which the story progresses from one act to the next. With the original songs playing, I felt like my film had been interrupted by music videos on a couple of occasions.

I really enjoyed "Where I Begin". Some other reviewers didn't like it as much, but they were going off festival screenings. The film has since been reedited to run smoother. I believe that I am the first person to review the final cut of the film. I'm not sure what the issues were before, but this film is well-crafted despite the minor complaints I mentioned in the previous paragraph.

I don't want to give away the decade-old incident that catalyzes the plot. I will tell you that it involves someone close to Tyler making a serious accusation against Jacob. I felt like I was going down a beaten path that would lead to a happy, well-explained ending. Instead I found myself constantly more torn between the two possibilities. Jacob didn't seem like a character that would do what he's accused of. Then we meet his accuser who doesn't seem like the type to make false accusations. Someone's lying. We never find out who. Does it matter? Not really. The damage has been done either way and it appears to be irreparable. At least the parties involved get their long overdue confrontation. At the end of the film Jacob seems a little more content after receiving a beat down. Maybe he knows he deserves it, or maybe he thinks Tyler's appetite will be satiated, thus allowing his former best friend to move on. Even if no character in the film benefited from the story, at least I did. You might too.