A mute kid, a broken camera, and Beau Bridges fixing both—this small-town drama hits harder than it has any right to.
Oscar, a nine-year-old boy who is unable to speak, struggles to adapt in the small fishing town he has just moved to with his widowed, hard-working mother Evelyn. Because of a broken film format camera, an unlikely friendship develops between Oscar and kindly workshop owner Eric.
Acting
Beau Bridges carries decades of warmth in every gruff gesture.
Cinematography
The camera-as-character framing actually earns its sentiment.
Director
Jay Silverman
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Miguel Matrai had never acted before this; director Jay Silverman found him at a school for deaf children and specifically sought a non-verbal actor.
The 16mm film stock used for Oscar's camera footage was processed using the same deteriorating methods shown on screen, creating genuine unpredictability in the 'developed' images.
US
