Previously highly gay-oriented Breaking Glass Pictures expanding into edgy content across the spectrum of film genres is a good thing. This broadening of the scope of the Breaking catalog increases the audience for horror films and other dramas with successful daring efforts to be different. The even better news is that this extended reach does not dull the Breaking instincts regarding gay-themed films that provide people all along the Kinsey Scale important messages.
The March 27, 2018 DVD release of the 2016 Canadian drama "1:54" from Oscar-winning filmmaker Van England is a prime example of Breaking remaining true to its roots. This movie, which Van states in a DVD bonus feature is based on events in the lives of different groups of people, expertly covers a full season worth of "After School Specials." The themes include being an outcast, gay teens, bullying, and rivalry among teammates.
The timing of the DVD evokes thoughts of the Disneyfied mainstream film "Love, Simon." That one also deals with a boy-next-door type contending with a blackmailer threatening to out him.
The title of the Breaking film refers to the "magic number" that represents the target time for completing a race; this goal is comparable to achieving the target weight for wrestling a champ in the '80s Matthew Modine coming-of-age film "Vision Quest."
The following YouTube clip of the Breaking trailer for "1:54" showcases the honesty and the related impact of the film.
In this case, the high school jock who comes of age is Tim. He is a former middle-school champ who quits running after his mother/coach dies. This leaving the team triggers a decline on the social ladder to a degree that Tim seemingly only is friends with fellow science geek Francis at the beginning of the film.
Current star runner Jeff delights in tormenting the boys apparently solely because they are easy pickings. This abuse includes flinging mashed potatoes at the lads in the school cafeteria and rapidly uploading the video of the incident for all to see.
More general abuse relates to Jeff repeatedly calling Tim and "Francine" fags purely as insults, rather than as commentary on their actual sexual orientation.
Subsequent events provide Tim an opportunity to regain at least a portion of his prior popularity. This widens an already growing rift with Francis and an incident in which Tim fails to support his former bestie.
The first truly intense drama relates to Francis cracking under the pressure of essentially being left alone to fend off the wolves. The response of Tim includes rejoining the track team and becoming what Jeff considers a serious threat.
This roughly coincides with Jeff making a video of Tim with his pants down and using that leverage in an effort to stop that boy from continuing to try to best Jeff on the track.
Tim gives into the pressure of his peer only to have his father and his coach (neither of whom know of the threat) coerce him into rejoining the team; this ultimately leads to Jeff making good on his threat and creating the predicted chaos.
Much of what follows is not very predictable but is not entirely out of the blue; it also ties in with both the "ripped from the headlines" aspects of "1:54" and with a seemingly increased rate of such incidents.
It is equally realistic that there is every indication that Jeff is never held accountable for his acts.
EVERY development in "1:54" reflects sad universal truths. Bullies of every age will take advantage of every perceived weakness and continue to enhance their abuse until effectively stopped or the target goes away. On the other side, the bullied either will continue to endure this torment or act out. Another fact is that the bullied recognize that reporting mistreatment to an authority figure is not the answer. Any disciplinary or corrective action only pokes the bear.
Anyone with questions or comments regarding "1:54" is strongly encouraged to email me; you also can connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.
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