
Is it ok to laugh during a pandemic? I sure hope so because STOP AND GO had me cracking up the entire 80-minutes. Filmmaking duo Mallory Everton (Writer/Director/Star) and Whitney Call (Writer/Star) created an organic look at all of our lives, and what it looked like in early 2020; and in some ways even today.
Synopsis: Sisters Blake (Mallory Everton) and Jamie’s (Whitney Call) big plans for the year come to a screeching halt when they are forced to rescue their grandmother and her beloved dog from her nursing home, before their reckless sister can get there first. They embark on a hilarious cross-country race against time while contending with a deranged dog breeder, a highly inappropriate 9-year-old, and a clueless Romeo, all in the name of family. | Now available in theaters and on-demand
Everton and Call were able to capture the humor of our COVID lives by doing what expert comedians have done for generations. They shine a light on the mundane and make it funny; without ever making fun. The last few years have been full of sadness, fear, anxiety, and heartbreak. No one is denying that. Blake and Jamie experience all of that in this film but as I watched them go through it I smiled thinking, I know exactly how they feel. And it was a warm feeling. Laughter truly is the best medicine.
The premise of the film is straight forward. Two sisters on a road trip to get their Nana from a nursing home. This was smart in it allowed them to shoot a film in a pandemic with very little social interaction. In fact there were several smart filmmaking tactics these best friends used. For one they utilized their natural on-screen chemistry. They are so comfortable around each other and that ease and bond transferred perfectly to the screen.
I am a fan of zany comedy and characters. This one was full of both, but to be honest all I needed was Blake and Jamie. Everything else was just bonus. Again, we all have lost much these last few years and the heaviness of that is real. Being able to laugh a little now is ok. If anything, Everton and Call remind us that we are not alone in our fears and that together we can get through this.
STOP AND GO is not rated but geared for those 18 and over. There is nothing objectionable in this film, but I think those older viewers will understand the humor more and relate to the experiences. It is available now in theaters and On-Demand.
Check out my interview with Mallory and Whitney in our podcast section
