REGARDING US
(director/writer: David Beck/Jennifer Bobbi; cinematographer: Caroline Stuckey; editor: Sarah Krusen; music: Analia Lentini; cast: Abigail Hawk (Constance), Catherine Curtin (Betsy), David Beck (Denny), Alexander Grey (Veronica Hathaway), Jacob Moran (Matt), Andrea Rosa Guzman (Isabel), Hudson Paul (Kyle),Eliud Garcia (Adrian); Runtime: 98; MPAA Rating: NR; producers: David Beck, Alexander Grey, Catriona Rubenis-Stevens; Soul Fact Films/Gravitas Veritas; 2024)
“An earnest LGBTQ+ dramedy on dealing with intolerance in the work-force.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
David Beck and Jennifer Bobbi write and direct this low-budget debut feature film. It’s an earnest LGBTQ+ dramedy on dealing with intolerance in the work-force.
Veronica (Alexander Grey) is a Black trans woman who taught undetected for the last seven years in the NYC Catholic parochial school system. When the religious school “board” somehow finds out she’s trans, they do the ‘unchristian’ thing and fire her.
Denny (David Beck) is a single father of a young daughter named Isabel (Andrea Rosa Guzman). Since his boyfriend Adrian (Eliud Garcia) recently left, the struggling actor badly misses his partner’s financial child support. Therefore Denny supplements his income as a tour guide and with his unique Shakespeare telegram business.
The depressed suicidal ex-teacher Veronica receives as a cruel joke one of Denny’s telegrams, which she must pay for since it was not paid for at the purchase. This pisses her off because it was sent by a hostile downstairs neighbor who harasses her because she’s trans.
But the telegram brings Denny and Veronica together, as he asks her to look after Isabel while he’s working.
Isabel befriends the new white kid in school Kyle (Hudson Paul), a wannabe cross-dresser whose religious mother Constance (Abigail Hawke) doesn’t understand her son’s gender conflict and he’s also abused at home by his older brother (Jacob Moran). But Veronica and Isabel make a connection with him.
Tensions arise when Adrian tries to reconcile with Denny, but can’t relate to Veronica.
Meanwhile Constance finds out about the firing of Veronica and goes into a rage. The ignorant believer stops Kyle from seeing either Veronica or Isabel.
The film sends a good message on tolerance without being preachy. But there are problems with a script that offers no clarity for characters or situations just popping up.
REVIEWED ON 2/10/2025 GRADE: B-
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