A Good Enough Day

I have to admit, I had no clue who Trevor St. John was before deciding to watch this film, so I came in with zero expectations. Now I'm watching something featuring a guy who not only stars in it but also directed and co-wrote the whole thing. Let's get into it.

The plot revolves around Tyler Hamilton, a photographer facing terminal illness, who's been carrying the weight of grief from a loss for over a decade. As he tries to wrap things up before he passes, he reaches out to his sister and daughter through phone calls, leading to some pretty haunting and emotional moments. It's worth noting that St. John made this film on a shoestring budget, shooting all the scenes in his home state of Washington.

Someone described this as an "emotionally charged drama" that delves into the healing power of reconciliation and the deep effects of neglected relationships. But I have to ask the writer-did we really see that in this film? Not really. There was a lot of dialogue and attempts to create some kind of resolution, but in the end, it felt like just a bunch of hot air. I get the creative vision and the emotions they aimed to convey, but it didn't come through-what should have been a big moment turned out to be just a little "puff" at the end!

So, with the lackluster acting and the screenplay not hitting the mark, I can only sum it up with: HALF-WAY!

P. S. I see that this guy has lots of fans out here giving him good scores. I do not watch TV over 30 years,so I guess that is the place they know him from.

Beautifully shot and directed, and the written in a way where although we as an audience know what is coming (or not), the journey is so interesting for this character along the way. It was interesting way to film emotional phone calls and only see Tyler absorbing and reacting to them while mostly just listening. Trevor St. John allows us to feel through him, instead of watching a performance that tells us how to feel. I felt sad, nervous, disappointed, resigned, hopeful... watching Tyler go through his day. The movie left me thinking about my own life- my own regrets and my connections to the people that matter to me.

While we can all relate to family stories of loss and grief, love and drama, the way this movie takes us on a journey through Tyler's life is beautiful.

The emotions in every actor were so genuine and palpable, and specially Tyler, that it was hard to hold back the tears as we watched. And I loved that about this movie.

The writing was masterful. How the script intentionally connected details and moments throughout the movie, creating an effect of time slowing down while keeping the audience captivated.

The music was carefully added to support the emotions of what was happening in the story without ruining the moment. The filming was beautifully done.

This is a gem of a movie.

A Good Enough Day written, directed and started by Travis St. John will resonate and stay with you long after you've experienced it. There's a wonderful subtle depth dichotomy of the lead actor Travis St. John that brings to Tyler Hamilton in his relationship with himself and love ones on his last days of his life. One of the things the movie asks from his audience is try to understand and accept your own complexities and nuances in order to live a life worth living. Not only the story is allowing you to be in a powerful communion with every character that we hear and see. At the same time you find yourself pulsating back and forth for permission of being accepted and maybe heal from where you are. Silence is accurate after watching it for it's working on you.

This lovely film is a shattering deep dive into our human need for connection and our painful and inevitable desire to have made a difference. This moody and quiet picture is chocked full of pain and regret and hope and redemption. Tragedy sends our hero off course, and yet, he needs desperately to redeem his relationships as a parent, as a friend, as a member of a greater community. There are many greater intellectual ideals being communicated below the surface, but how human it is to grieve and to fail. How beautiful it is to decide to make a difference. At great cost and even against the odds.