One of the things I can always count on when watching a No Restrictions Ent. independent film is that producer John Paul Rice and writer/director Edgar Michael Bravo will tackle tough social issues that few indie filmmakers dare to touch. Mother’s Red Dress was no exception.
Coming off the heels of the success of One Hour Fantasy Girl, a drama that put the spotlight on the issues of women trapped in a life of fantasy role-playing, this filmmaking duo tackled the painful issue of child abuse and PTSD in Mother’s Red Dress.
Set in Northern California, Mother’s Red Dress follows the life of Paul Ullman, a college-age young man who’s a witness to his mother’s murder of an abusive boyfriend. Paul leaves and makes the decision to restart his life in the first town that feels normal. Immediately Paul meets and feels a connection with Ashley, a cashier at a local coffee shop. Ashley works with Brenda, an overweight co-worker dealing with self-esteem and anger issues related to being teased, scorned and rejected because of her weight.
In fact, while the primary message of Mother’s Red Dress is about the affects of child abuse its secondary message, I feel, is about bullying, a type of abuse children inflict upon each other. As recent events have proven, unchecked bullying can lead to disastrous and even fatal results.
In penning Mother’s Red Dress, Bravo uses Paul’s inner reflection, “Something happened here” to weave a complex tale of innuendo and evidence to slowly reveal the abuse Paul suffered as a child. However, unlike most films about child abuse, Paul is an adult, yet still deeply and emotionally affected by the trauma of his abuse. In fact, Paul is so damaged by the abuse that he has concocted an alternate reality that is slowly revealed throughout the film. The message here is clear: the affects of abuse follow you. You cannot simply shrug it off and go on with your life. Children of abuse, even adults, need treatment.
I was most touched by the true-to-life manner in which Paul bonded with Ashley. Ashley best friend Brenda has been bullied most of her life about her weight causing her to immediately lash out whenever she believes she’s being mistreated or neglected because of her weight. Ashley is quite aware of Brenda’s reactionary coping mechanism and she immediately begins to suspect Paul’s coping mechanism (the need to help or protect), and thus his pain.
Teasing and bullying is something most of us are familiar with. All through elementary school and junior high school I was a victim of bullying. Kids can be cruel and they took every advantage of my chubby body and introverted nature to tease me. What was my coping mechanism? I started lifting weights in high school until I was big enough that no one dared tease me. More than anything, however, is my open reception of quiet, shy people. I tend to befriend and defend them faster than any one I know. Mother’s Red Dress does a solid job of illustrating the post-trauma effects of abuse and why it’s so important to stop and then treat the abuse early.
In April, my friend and producer, John Paul Rice, joins Family & Children’s Place and returns to Louisville, KY (his hometown) for a theatrical run of Mother’s Red Dress at the Village 8 Cinemas, during Child Abuse Prevention Month from April 20th through the 26th.
To learn more about Mother’s Red Dress and other films by No Restrictions Entertainment visit the website here: www.norestrictionsent.com
To learn more about Family & Childrens Place visit the website here: www.familyandchildrensplace.org
