Sometimes all we need is bit of kinship and empathy. And sometimes a simple story told in a movie can make us feel good about the world, about the people and encourage in an ingenious way to “pay it forward”. That is the case with the 2014 short film Dogwood written and directed by Christopher Maloney.
The movie tells the story of Charlie (Rick Parker) – a good natured school bus driver who notices the shines of Rowan (Perrin Jack) young boy who has recently been placed in a foster home along Charlie’s bus route. Charlie shows interest in the boy and the two develop a heartwarming friendship which brightens both of their lives.
Dogwood is beautifully shot and combined with its very fitting musical score (by a band called Town Meeting) – it evokes a sense of calmness and harmony. The story is simple enough to follow and most viewers will be able to relate to it (in my case it brought reminiscences of friends from Germany and elsewhere with whom I have formed a bound regardless of the age difference). My only complaint is the somehow unsatisfying and vague ending.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3963288/combined