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DramaComedyDocumentaryAnimationExperimentalMusic
Perfect To Begin
Richard Lawson
average rating from 22 members 
       
drama | 2007 | North East | 19 min
Published 02 Nov 07
Lisa’s new boyfriend takes her and her daughter, Molly, on a surprise holiday. The weekend soon becomes memorable for all the wrong reasons.
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contains some disturbing scenes and scenes of a sexual nature
synopsis
Reckless boyfriend, Nav, attempts to impress new
girlfriend Lisa with a surprise holiday. What Lisa
thinks could be the beginning of a great weekend and
bonding experience for her new man and daughter, soon
descends into chaos.
crew
  • director Richard Lawson
  • writer Richard Lawson & Peter Dillon
  • producer Tina Gharavi
  • editor Rachel Tunnard
  • director of photography John Morrison
  • sound Tommy Hair
  • executive producers Helen Stearman &
    Rebecca Mark-Lawson
  • line producer Mike Steel
  • 1st Assistant Director Karl Liegis
  • art director Jennifer Armstrong
  • Make-up Design Bonnie Patricia "Muffin" Morgan
  • composer Vincent Watts
  • agent for Richard Lawson Josh Varney @ Independent
  • cast
    • Nav Aaron Roachford
    • Lisa Victoria Anne Slinger
    • Molly Gemma Dodsworth
    • Dad Bill Fellows
    • Boy Adrian Coates
    • Caravan Dad Stephen Woods
    • Caravan Child Freya Woods
    festivals, awards and screenings include:
    • 3rd Prize, Turner Classic Movies, 2007
    format
    HD
    © 2007 Richard Lawson

    comments

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    comment by Luke  Martins
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    posted Jul 10, 2008

    This film left me pleasently suprised by the end. Not particularly exiting, but touching in a subtle way. Nicely shot with a soundtrack that is elegant and eerie in equal measure. The acting was very good too.

    It was refreshing to see that it did not judge its protagonists morally. I also found that there were various discordances which actually played out so as to improve the film. For instance, the music: we see the boyfriend steal a carvan, which obviously speaks to his seedy character (and is quite funny!), but he stops to let the girl out (because he is reminded of Molly?) and in the car ride the music is solemn, suggesting the girl's state of mind, but also a sort of forgiveness for the couple, while they laugh about. At the end too, the guy beats up the older man, despite the fact he probably wasn't a pedophile, but there is a happy family scene outside someone else's burnt out caravan.

    In many ways a short about acceptance of disfunction.

    comment by Colin  Metcalfe
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    posted Jun 24, 2008

    A very good professional production all round. At the end though I felt I wanted a bit more from the story, some sort of pay off.

    comment by Stephen  Sampford
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    posted Jun 15, 2008

    Nail biting stuff. Undoubtedly every parent’s worst nightmare. I wonder if we saw Nav have some kind of epiphany outside the sweet shop. The mother’s worry was instinctive and immediate, but the boyfriend's was arrived at. They started the jaunt as three naive children; but we saw, perhaps, two of them grow up mighty quickly, and just in the nick of time too.
    I did laugh out loud when Nav suggested returning next year.
    A gripping tale.

    comment by Ben  Jones
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    posted May 7, 2008

    Very nice piece. I hope you don't mind me asking but since your success with the film what has your agent been able to get for you?

    I was wondering how the whole process works.


    comment by Lucia  Nicolai
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    posted Nov 21, 2007

    Can I just say that watching this short made me soooo nervous?!? The boyfriend's got written bad news all over him, he acts like an idiot and still his girlfriend laughs and stays with him at the end? But I guess the emotional involvement is a definite plus. Well done, it just makes you want to kick that guy's bottom half!

    Lucia  Nicolai is Head of Editorial at Qoob and a member of Film Network's Industry Panel.
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    useful links
    • www.tcmclassicshorts.com
    selected by
    Turner Classic Movies from the 2007 TCM shortlist.
    related features
    Richard Lawson interview
    Richard Lawson interview
    Watch an interview with the director of Perfect To Begin.
    TCM Classic Shorts

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