An aging ex-convict tries to reconnect with his estranged son after receiving some life-changing news in Thomas Elliot Griffiths’ short film Jumpers For Goalposts.
Throughout the history of film (and any other form of entertainment for that matter) creators have explored the topic of father and son relationships; trying to live up to expectations, the struggle to come from underneath a male parental shadow, and even patricide. George Lucas famously inserted the topic into his Star Wars saga with the Luke and Darth Vader relationship, which was then parodied by Disney in Toy Story 2 with Buzz Lightyear. Even though we have watched, read, and even personally lived through complicated paternal issues, the topic still makes for an interesting subject.
Writer/director Thomas Elliot Griffiths uses this subject for his latest short film Jumpers For Goalposts. Set in Liverpool, England, the film starts with a man (Michael Newstead) standing in a street outside a house, staring at an address written down on a piece of paper. After a coughing fit, he builds up the courage to knock on the door of the house. The door is soon answered by Danny (Luca Donnelly) and we come to find that they are father and son who haven’t seen each other in ten years. Luca is obviously standoffish at first, closing the door on his estranged father’s face, but the son agrees to chat with his father and they go for a walk to the local park.
After some reminiscing in the park, about going to the match, a (now closed) cafe, and playing football, the two get down to brass taxes – you see, Chris (the father) is dying and has been given eighteen months to live. He wants to make things right, and not leave this world with a son who hates him. Danny acts rather nonchalantly at first, but then he is given some unexpected news that manages to help change his perspective on things. The two take a seat on a bench in the local park, and air their differences, as Danny seeks answers, and Chris seeks redemption.
Whilst only using two simple locations – the exterior of a house, and a path running through a local park, Jumpers For Goalposts does really well in managing to keep a hold of our attention. Both Newstead and Donnelly do really well with the subject matter and are believable as members of a fractured family. Director Griffiths makes good use of limited resources and his use of dialogue sets the scene and makes us feel for both parties, which is no easy feat, as nobody would really want to side with a man who abandoned his child after committing a big enough crime that warranted a ten-year prison sentence.
The camera work, while rather basic, is nice throughout, as is the use of audio, which is audibly crisp. The visuals are accompanied by a haunting piano score courtesy of Ray Gibson, which helps set the mood well. For anyone wondering what the title of the film means, or how it has anything to do with the plot of the film – Chris and Danny are watching a father and young son playing football in the park, and they have the coats down as makeshift goalposts, something that Chris and Danny used to do when they were younger too.
A short dramatical effort, Jumpers For Goalposts is a well-executed British production, with an important message and impressive performances.
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