Addison's Wall (2006)

Talking to Strangers

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

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This 60-minute, black-and-white feature effortlessly balances heartfelt drama with flights of fancy, rigid interior chambers with gorgeous, expansive clutter. After his father's suicide, nine year-old Addison (Colton Lasater) and his mother (Ritah Parrish) move to a small town to start over. Addison has stopped speaking, and attracts the attention of the school bully. Only his father's blanket, tacked up to the wall in his new room, offers any solace; beneath its folds he scribbles on the wall his secret desires. Director David Waingarten coaxes powerhouse performances from his cast, especially Parrish, whose nearly infinite patience runs its course and gives way to affecting emotional neediness. The "Twilight Zone"-esque screenplay intelligently wrings a queasy, devastating beauty from almost nothing at all.

Note: This film was reviewed as part of Cinequest 2006. The official Addison's Wall homepage can be found here.

Starring: Colton Lasater, Ritah Parrish, Alexis Pope, Julie Gallagher, Andres Alcala, Dana Harris, Gray Eubank, Ben Milam
Written by: David Waingarten
Directed by: David Waingarten
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Running Time: 61 minutes
Date: February 17, 2006