Favourite Son
"Two brothers reassess their relationship as they sit stranded on the side of a road,
with a stolen hearse containing the body of their father."
Strife. Competition. Envy. Anyone with a brother or a sister might recognize some negative aspects of sibling rivalry here. Distressing family dynamics that could span a lifetime. But more often not, there is also love.
Perhaps all it takes is an impulsive act to exhume it.
Which is exactly where estranged brothers Ammon and Benjamin find themselves in Aaron Kent's compelling screenplay, Favourite Son. On the day of the funeral, younger brother Benjamin has stolen the hearse with their father's coffin inside. Paused off a country road, “a quaint English roadside forest” behind them, the two brothers bicker wildly:
BENJAMIN
You're a dick.
AMMON
I'm a dick?! You're the one that stole a fucking hearse.
BENJAMIN
I didn't steal it, I just...
AMMON
Borrowed it? That old cliché?
Benjamin picks up Ammon's shoe and throws it into the woods.
BENJAMIN
Fetch.
AMMON
Jeez Benjamin, you really are a miniature dad.
Ammon starts to trudge off into the trees.
BENJAMIN
That's not a bad thing!
AMMON
Anger issues are always a bad thing!
Benjamin picks up a stick and throws it in Ammon’s general direction.
BENJAMIN
He was a good man!
Ammon runs back with his shoe in one hand.
AMMON
Good men don't smash plates against walls because you couldn't eat it all.
Good men don't lift their child to the ceiling and drop him.
Good men don't sleep with the babysitter.
Is such animosity between siblings inevitable?
It’s an age-old question, and a frequent topic for movies. Relationships between brothers are also examined in The Lion King, Brothers and The Fighter, between sisters in What Ever Happened to Baby Jane, In Her Shoes and The Other Boleyn Girl, and between brothers and sisters in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Cruel Intentions and The Savages.
At least Ammon and Benjamin are talking. The barbs are flying, but there are moments of levity, too:
Ammon puts his hand to his head, there is a watch on his wrist.
BENJAMIN
Why'd you steal dad's watch?
AMMON
I'm not stealing it, I'm just borrowing it.
Benjamin smiles.
Harboring deep-rooted hurts, will Ammon and Benjamin ever find resolution? And even if they do, what should be done about the stolen hearse with dear old dad inside?
Favourite Son is captivating. If you’re a director with an ear for dynamic dialogue, take it for a ride. The roadside location provides a colorful backdrop for two actors to showcase their talents. And what about that hearse? Just borrow one… ;D
