Northern Lights
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"Northern Lights" is a short film directed by Mitchell Lundin '08 for DVD Fest 2005. A parody of teen soap operas, such as "The OC," the film centers around a high-schooler named Sean, who comes out as left-handed.
Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.
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Summary
The film begins with a "Previously on Northern Lights..." sequence, in which Darren (Mitchell Lundin '08) and Katie (Laura Marinelli '08) get together and Sean (played by Jonny Grubb, University of Minnesota '07) vows to tell his parents (Collin Thomas '05 and Julia Fisher '07) about his secret.
An opening credits sequence ensues. (Note that all credited names are fake.)
Sean's secret is revealed in the next scene: He is left-handed. He tells his parents how it started, when he began "experimenting" with a left-handed can opener on a camping trip. His parents are shocked, saddened, then angry. His friend Darren then calls to tell him that he got together with Katie. Sean is happy to hear this, but Darren misinterprets him as being sarcastic (if he hears Sean at all).
Later, Sean is harrassed for being left-handed. He asks Darren how everyone found out. Darren explains that he told them because Sean wouldn't accept his relationship with Katie. Sean protests that everyone accepts his relationship with Katie: "It's literally a school holiday!"
Katie introduces Darren to her parents (Kelson Zawack '08 and Janara Christensen '08). Despite their friendliness, Katie chastises then for "picking apart every little thing!" Katie and Darren resolve, ambiguously, to leave but stay together.
Under stress, Sean also decides to run away from home. When Darren tells him that running away isn't the answer, Sean confidently replies, "Yes. It is."
Quotes
- "I didn't raise no lefty."
- "Dad, I'm gonna bring home my new boyfriend for lunch tomorrow."
- "Great, honey! I can't wait to meet him."
- "Why? So you can pick him apart and judge him without ever getting to know him?"
- "Maybe we should just go our separate ways.
- "Maybe we can go our separate ways--together."
Soundtrack
The soundtrack was carefully chosen to emulate The OC and other shows in its vein.
- Opening credits: "Get it Together" by Midtown
- Sean's confession: "Mad World" by Gary Jules
- School scene: "Beautiful Soul" by Jesse McCarney
- Montage: "Thoughts of a Dying Atheist" by Muse
- Falling out in Upper Sayles: "You Gotta Dance (With Who You Came With)" by The Hold Steady
- Darren and Katie's escape: "Mobile" by Avril Lavigne
- Final scene: "Old Soul Song (For a New World Order)" by Bright Eyes
Trivia
- A DVD Fest poster can be seen in the background of the "coming out" scene. Also, the framed picture between Sean's parents is, inexplicably, of Darren.
- "Northern Lights" is the longest-ever DVD Fest film. Despite an official running time limit of 5 minutes (plus 30 seconds for credits), the film was accepted at about 7.75 minutes.
- The film was partly inspired by "The Bu," a parody of The OC on a short film website called Channel 101. [1]
External links
- Watch "Northern Lights" at the DVD Fest website
