A HOST OF TROUBLE A short film Being a good Catholic girl has brought 8 year old Harriet Weber nothing but trouble. PRODUCED BY IN THE TRENCHES PRODUCTIONS
LOGLINE Being a good Catholic girl has brought 8 year old Harriet Weber nothing but trouble. Her sisters and classmates mock her and her mother thinks Harriet has a religious vocation. As she prepares for her First Communion she's torn between wanting to please mother and longing to be like other girls. SYNOPSIS A HOST OF TROUBLE is set in 1955 in a working class neighborhood in Chicago. Being a good Catholic girl has brought 8 year old Harriet Weber nothing but trouble. Her sisters and classmates mock her and her mother thinks Harriet has a religious vocation. As Harriet prepares for her First Communion, she is torn between wanting to please her mother and longing to be like other girls. Her friends are getting fancy First Communion dresses, but a candidate for the convent can wear the family hand-me-down. Harriet keeps striving for perfection, but the harder she tries, the farther she falls. A scrupulous attempt to make a perfect first confession results in a loud scolding from the priest. Her apology for her wiggling tongue at a Communion practice drill turns into a scandal. Unable to be perfect, miserable at the thought of a future in the convent, she lashes out at a pre-Communion photo shoot. Mayhem ensues and miraculously, Harriet's mother begins to appreciate her for who she is, not what she might become. DIRECTORS STATEMENT "I am always looking for projects that are life affirming in unusual ways. A HOST OF TROUBLE fits the bill. All of us feel like we are trapped in the world created by our parents. Some of us feel like we are trapped in spiritual dictums that can seem like they can steal our very lives away from us. Host, with a light comic touch, covers both areas and wonder of wonders is still not cynical. It re-affirms the goodness in religion while acknowledging the bad. I fell in love with the piece and its hopefulness." Stephen Tobolowsky. PRODUCTION NOTES A HOST OF MIRACLES! The chief one being the generosity of friends and family and even strangers who, miracle of miracles, allowed us to do it for only $15,000! There was the friend who gave up her house and yard for a whole weekend. The friend who arranged for us to use one of her schoolrooms. And what would we have done without our greensman showing up with an entire backyard of plants for free when we were only expecting a few rose bushes? Or without a producer whose husband just happens to be a fantastic editor? Or without 15 principals, including lots of kids, and over 25 extras who not only didn't pass out, but didn't even complain about shooting outside in 50's garb..hats, gloves, girdles, stockings, suits, nun & priest outfits...in over 100 degree weather with 80% humidity? Just a few of the 'miraculous gifts' we received to help us complete this project. It does indeed 'take a village', and the miracle was we found that village. THE GLAMOUR OF PRODUCING! Finalist: USA FILM FESTIVAL SHORT FILM COMPETITION Top Five Finalist: THE WESTWOOD FILM FESTIVAL SHORT FILM COMPETITION INFO Running time:18 minutes and 54 seconds including titles and credits PRODUCTION CREW (production stills follow Crew list) |
