The Dead Kid

The Dead Kid is a wonderful half hour short that touches on the topics of bullying, racism and peer pressure without being heavy handed on any of the issues. Rather, the director/writer Goyins weaves elements of these social issues into the fabric of a place in time that we can all relate to.

The bullied kid in the piece is a target for many reasons, reasons that we can all remember when thinking back to our school aged years, and reasons that kids can still relate to today. The story further delves into a surprising direction when the bullied kid goes missing, and it takes us into all too familiar territory where peer pressure and the need to be liked play significant roles in the choices we make at a young age.

I would recommend this short for viewing by any middle school anti-bullying organization.

It broke my heart, it touched my heart. Having been bullied many times as a child who was close friends with a 'black' girl in a very small segregated town in Maryland during the 70's, the story brought back all the memories of what she and I dealt with. I cried for Frankie, I cried for his parents and I cried remembering my friend Michelle. I love that the film showed that not only did Frankie's death affect his parents,but the whole community. It should do just that. Otherwise we can never hope for change. It's a beautiful film. It's genuine in it's truth and respectful in it's delivery of a very profound message. Annie being consumed with remorse locked in the freezer and then being forgiven by Frankie's spirit was incredibly moving. As was having Mr. Dunbar save Annie and carry her home with tears in his eyes as he held her tight to him, filled with poised yet obvious relief and concern for her. Through out the whole film you are made to revisit your own moral fiber. Loved it!

Filmmaker Gergory Goyins reminds us what it's like to be at the difficult and transitional age of late childhood in his film The Dead Kid. Annie Baxter lives a normal life. She plays with her friends, camps outside at night, explores her hometown, and she starts noticing boys, hoping they notice her too. Her innocent desire for one boy's attention allows her to look the other away as her crush bullies another child. After the bullied child goes missing, Annie is burdened by her lack of action to defend the boy. Goyins wonderfully illustrates the fear and guilt weighing us down from little mistakes we make for the sake of acceptance by our peers. Most importantly though, the film reminds us to forgive ourselves for these little mistakes. In only 27 minutes, Goyins tells a small story with a big and long lasting emotional impact. This film deserves to be seen and heard.

"The Dead Kid" finds a nice balance between tones of humor and sadness. It is an easy film to surrender yourself to because you can feel the filmmaker conveying that which many films lack: honesty.

The ability to find subject material that an audience can truly relate to can be a difficult task. Creating the experience to move an audience in line with that message, however, takes serious skill.

Though the director is only in the early stages of his career, he shows he can create a film that pulls the audience into a complete world. He allows you to travel alongside the protagonist with complete security knowing that your time -- and the experience -- are well worth it.

And so it is. After much promise--flashes of intelligence, isolated moments of brilliance--Goyins puts it all together in what is certainly his most mature film. Set in the early '80s, The Dead Kid relates the tragic story of an adolescent boy's disappearance in a small coastal town. It is told through the eyes of a same-aged girl (Mandalynn Carlson) whose growing awareness of the surrounding incidents (the boy was bullied by locals) provides a sturdy, empathetic core. Unabashedly literary (based on a short story by Gillian King, who shares screenplay credit), the film effortlessly moves through a nonlinear narrative space, interweaving first person narration with observational storytelling to create a dense, emotionally rich texture. The cinematography has a warm, glowing, nostalgic sheen, and every production detail is calibrated for maximum emotional effect. There are numerous felicitous touches (such as the "Greek chorus" of kids that ease the transitions between scenes) but the biggest revelation, at least to this viewer, is that Goyins proves himself, after the old soul world-weariness of After the Denim and the shocking body horror of Vitriolage, a sensitive director of children. But to say so doesn't convey the full effect of watching The Dead Kid. It has to be seen to be believed. Goyins and his team of collaborators have made a small classic that speaks to specific social issues (race, class, bullying, etc.) without neglecting the all important human element. In short, it is a major accomplishment.