I'm a sucker for short films and when they are based on a true story I'm even more interested. Gage ticks off both of those boxes. This short film tells the true story of Phineas Gage, a railroad worker who miraculously survives an accident where a three foot metal spike was shot through his head.
Phineas Gage, played by Brian Sutherland, goes from upstanding citizen to town malcontent after the accident. The film follows the friendship of Gage and town physician Dr. Harlow. As the town turns their back on Gage it is Dr. Harlow (Glen Baggerly) who realizes that this change in personality that Gage is experiencing could have been caused by the accident and not his fault.
I do not want to give too much away because the ending is solid and deserves to be watched unencumbered.
One of the challenges with short films is to fully develop characters but Gage does an excellent job at revealing the motivation behind Dr. Harlow's actions. Why is he the only one who is willing to make an effort to understand Gage's strange behavior.
The pacing is good and the story moves along quickly. In fact. the ending comes up on you quick. I would have liked this film to be a little longer but that's the hallmark of a good short film; it leaves you wanting more.
One thing that needs to be mentioned is the cinematography. It is excellent. Many of the scenes are simply beautiful. Director Keith Wilhelm Kopp do an excellent job telling the story of Phineas Gage and I would like to see more of his work in the future.
