Carter and Sterling, two young lifelong best friends, are forced to face their differences when Sterling heads off to bootcamp leaving Carter behind to watch over Sterling's little sister Beverly.
Starring Gillian Ficarra, Cale Kaz, and Charlie Bennett
Written/Directed by Max Bennett
Produced by Max Bennett and Jessica Sanders
Cinematography by Jakob Farwell
Edited by Bailey Hall and Morgan Percy-Fine
Sound Design by Gavin Sondrup
Music by Kyle Reinhart and Lucas Brandom
Director Statement
I’ve written stories about family. I’ve written stories about romantic relationships. This is a story about all of those things as well as brotherhood and friendship. In life, things can get messy. Feelings can get hurt. Family can get involved. These situations affect everybody, even those who are not initially involved. On the other side of the coin, I often ponder, is our life’s destiny ordained by God/a higher power or do we pave out this destiny? It is merely a game of opportunity vs. chance? I wonder, is heaven real and is it on earth? Could it be possible that a loved one could be our heaven on earth? In a weird way, this is Beverly to me.
Beverly is a classic American myth. Sterling reminds us that it’s all about making the most of what you’ve been given. He triumphs above all in the pursuit of happiness and the pursuit of what many would consider to be the American Dream. He aims to achieve what is hard purely because it is hard. He knows he is special and destined for something greater. He knows that even if he fails, he is in control. But at the same time, does he show us all the potential evils and chaos of what this pursuit entails?
Beverly is Sterling’s counter culture. He believes he has it all figured out until this counter culture infiltrates his mind space. To Carter, Beverly is something completely different and the two boys show their love differently. Nonetheless, they both love her. Love that cannot be compared.
Carter, Sterling, and Beverly deal with their trauma differently too. How much of their coping relies on running away and finding escapes? Is this how they should be grieving? Who are we to say. Are their pursuits reliant on their previous failed aspirations? What if Sterling’s job at the auto shop made him happy? What if Carter only truly needed a community college degree? Either way, Sterling leaving for boot camp fulfills his militaristic instinct. His craving to do right by his county. The promise of youth. For himself and for his sister. When Sterling comes back he feels like he has already lost everything. His mother, the youth and perfection of his sister, his North Star, the loyalty he shares with his best friend, who he was before. Carter does too. He feels that he is drifting farther and farther away from his peace of mind. Something we can all attest to at some point in our lives.
As I have previously mentioned, this film is about humanity. Regardless of political or socioeconomic affiliation. Living in a time period of division/divisiveness, this story is a metaphorical flashback into a time of wholesomeness and simplicity. They say that in order to move forward, you must put your trails of the past to bed. Beverly feels like a therapeutic release. One that manifests itself into characters that feel so familiar but so distant. So guarded. I hope to bring that guard down. Even for a select few who come across this story. All roads lead back home and this is your story too.