By Hailey Murphy
On Friday night, in Viking Union 552, the lights went dim. A red Osprey backpack appeared on the screen, and the student film “Gone” began.
“Gone” is a feature-length film created by four Fairhaven students; Madison Njos, Nate Sawtell, Michael Barone and Conor O’Keefe, along with a cast and crew made up of students and volunteers. The project took them a year and a half, as well as a measly $1,000, to complete. The film was their senior project, and upon completion, sold out two showings at the Pickford Film Center.
This movie is an impressive feat. Despite their lack of experience and money, these students put together a phenomenal story. It’s truly a testament to what determination and a good idea can accomplish.
What’s so potent about the movie is the complex way in which the story is told. There are three main storylines in the film, which are only connected by a hit-and-run accident. The first narrative follows Trevor and Vincent in an Uber. Trevor is the passenger, who’s on his way to a funeral on the beach. Vincent is his persistent driver. Another narrative follows Danny, a waitress at the Horseshoe Café, who can’t break free from her boring day to day routines. The last storyline is Quincy’s–he’s come back to town to make amends when his opportunity is cut short.
The story is further complicated by the jumps in time, which present the material in a nonlinear fashion. Sometimes the story moves forward, sometimes there’s a jump backwards, and sometimes the same moment is shown again. This is exactly what makes this story so great. The interweaving makes for a compelling plotline. When the pieces of the puzzle gradually come together, the viewer is left in anticipation, while also experiencing a multidimensional view of a story.
Warning: The rest of this article contains spoilers.
The complex plot results in a character-driven story. The film is loaded with character development. Each and every character is affected when Quincy is hit with the car. This film is really about what the characters learn from the tragedy—and, in turn, what we have to learn from them.
Quincy’s storyline focuses on the importance of forgiveness and valuing our relationships. When Quincy dies, he is not on good terms with the people in his life–Rob and Tanya. But after Quincy died, it was too late for them to reconnect. They regretted the things they never got to say. It really exemplifies how short life is, and how important it is to cherish the people you have, because you never know when you’re going to lose them.
Danny’s storyline sheds light on trauma and anxiety. As a witness to the accident, she experiences posttraumatic stress. She can’t leave her home due to her debilitating fear, and when she finally does return to work, she’s driven to panic by her flashbacks. Many people go through similar struggles everyday, and they are able to recognize themselves in Danny. Those who can’t relate to those struggles are thus exposed to an experience that they can begin to understand.
Yet the most thought-provoking moment of this story is the decision Danny ultimately makes. She witnesses Trevor get into Vincent’s car, recognizes Trevor as the driver who hit Quincy, and follows them. Meanwhile, in the car, Trevor and Vincent bond over their similarities. They form what Vincent would call a “community of suffering,” leading to an immense amount of trust. Trevor ultimately reveals that he’s the one who killed Quincy.
Vincent urges Trevor to forgive himself. However, when they arrive to the beach, Trevor walks into the water and tries to drown himself, overcome with guilt. Danny watches from a distance as Vincent saves his life. Then, instead of confronting him, she simply drives home.
Danny decides, in that moment, to forgive. She’s able to accept that people make mistakes, and instead of letting herself be consumed by anger, she moves on. She says she’s going to leave town and get out of the rut she’s been living in.
This leaves the audience to question what they would do in her situation. Could we rise above and forgive someone’s honest mistake? Could we blatantly ignore the law to do what we believe is right? Is letting someone off with a crime ever right?
These questions are not easy to answer, and thus the quartet of directors has done their job well. “Gone” is a powerful film with masterful storytelling and dynamic characters, with necessary moments of humor along the way. This is a story audiences won’t easily forget.