Somebody Help Philip!
Rescuing a fallen old man leads Jeff to weird places.
What ultimately makes a short satisfying?
Is it action packed sequences? Great FX? Moments where the fate of the very world itself’s at risk? “Nope, nuh-uh and meh” across the board. Such trappings are useful window dressing which can add to a tale, for sure. But as the history of blockbuster flops makes oh-so-very obvious – the most important part of a story which makes it resonate is if it has a genuine, human core.
Rob Hertog’s Someone Help Philip manages exactly that; with a touch of gentle, understanding humor.
Meet Philip Watson, 70s. A stand up old gentleman… well, in the past perhaps. But as the story opens, Philip’s flat on his back, flailing in the mud of someone’s lawn.
Roused from sleep, good samaritan Jeff Looper comes to help. Just a few seconds in, and we immediately care for both:
JEFF
Whoa, buddy. You hurt?
PHILIP
I fell. Thank God you came.
Jeff wears flip flops, cargo shorts, and an unzipped hooded sweatshirt that exposes his soft belly. He's got bed-head: tufts of his hair point towards the dark sky.
JEFF
You need an ambulance?
He reaches into his pocket for his phone, but it isn't there.
JEFF
Shoot. I'll have to go back inside.
PHILIP
Just help me up. I'm okay.
Jeff carefully pulls Philip to a seated position.
PHILIP
I was picking up after my damn dog and I fell over.
I dropped the leash.
JEFF
Oh, crap. You lost your dog?
Oh-oh. We care for the dog’s welfare instantly, too.
Jeff picks up Philip, walks him a block towards home. But sooner than you can say “sundowning”, the pickle Jeff and Philip are in veers from bad to worse.
Confusion spreads over Philip's face.
PHILIP
Wait. This isn't my house.
He blinks rapidly. His wet lips tremble.
PHILIP
I thought...uh...This isn't my block.
I got turned around.
Alarm spreads over Jeff's face. The old guy is lost.
Far too many of us have experienced the pain of a relative with dementia. How can they be protected from themselves? What would happen if they wander far from home?
And perhaps – worst of all – what if they encounter folks who don’t mean them well?
In case you’re growing concerned, - Someone Help Philip’s no horror. It’s a human centered drama with organic comic touches. Remember that “action packed sequence” we mentioned earlier? That’ll come into play before Philip and Jeff’s adventure’s done.
A short destined to become a festival fave, Someone Help Philip doesn’t require much. Thanks to a heartfelt script which merges genuine human difficulties with absurdist humor, all you need is two terrific actors (and a pup to pay Sadie the dog) to really bring this story full circle, and – like Philip himself – home!!