By Valerie Milano
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 1/13/24 – Director Tom Stuart debuts masterpiece, Good Boy, a poignant exploration of grief through the lens of the brilliant actor Ben Whishaw. Inspired by Stuart’s personal journey through loss, this quirky short film invites audiences on a lighthearted yet profound escapade. In the midst of chaos and substantial loss, Danny grapples for a way forward, encountering bizarre manifestations from his past that hint at a reality more complex than meets the eye. Good Boy not only marks Tom Stuart’s directorial debut but also positions him on the prestigious shortlist for a 2024 Academy Award, adding a captivating chapter to the unfolding narrative of his creative journey.
What ties humanity together so succinctly is our shared experiences through happiness, and of course grief. While the different ends of this spectrum of reality bear its own separate responsibilities, beauty can be found and birthed in these seasons of our lives. This is definitely true for Tom Stuart with his first film Good Boy as he recalls, “I had this very funny, outrageous, kind, brilliant mom that I was very, very close to and unfortunately she died at the beginning of the pandemic. This film is really me trying to work out what to do with that loss. When it happened, I needed an outlet and I needed to explore what was happening with me and what was happening with grief as I had never experienced it before; that’s where the genesis of the idea came from. The short is an exploration of my grief and my relationship with my brilliant mom.”
Stuart is skilled at depicting not only the many layers of grief, but capturing the many ways in which loss impacts us suddenly and profoundly. Throughout the short, the audience may be surprised at the abrupt appearances of figures from Danny’s past. Stuart says, “When I was in the thick of grief, basically, grief looked nothing like how I thought it would look. I thought it was going to be a lot of me not being able to get out of bed and crying with the curtains shut. What surprised me was how grief comes in all of these different forms and sort of jumps out at you from all these different angles, and I’ve never seen that represented before in TV or film. I remember very clearly trying to get on with my day, being at the supermarket and trying to choose what I was going to eat for dinner that night and then suddenly I would be ambushed by a memory of the doctor that looked after my mom when she was dying, or the nurse that gave us mom’s prognosis at the time. Danny is attempting to get on with his day, but he is being ambushed by figures of his unprocessed grief.”
Debut film, Good Boy, stands as a testament to the universal journey through sorrow and loss. Stuart skillfully delves into the complexities of grief, portraying the unexpected and profound impact of the phenomenon on the human spirit. The film not only captures the nuances of this emotional terrain but also surprises audiences with its portrayal of grief’s diverse forms and unexpected appearances. In a candid reflection of personal struggle, Stuart highlights the unpredictable nature of grief, an aspect often overlooked in mainstream portrayals. Good Boy is more than a cinematic achievement; it becomes a mirror reflecting the shared humanity of navigating life’s tumultuous seasons.
Click below for an interview with
Ben Whishaw, Marion Bailey and Tom Stuart
that THT took part in:
