by Martin Unsworth
Everyone interested in film has that spark lit by something. For some, it becomes an awareness; for others, it develops into an obsession. One person whose passion overwhelmed him is director/writer Patrick Read Johnson. 5-25-77 is the personal story of how a visit to the cinema changed his life.
After seeing 2001: A Space Odyssey at an early age, young Pat (John Francis Daley, screenwriter of the recent Dungeons & Dragons blockbuster) becomes obsessed with the film and, in particular, the special effects. He uses his father’s Super 8 camera and starts making his mini-movies, being increasingly inventive with his visuals. However, his excitement boils over when he finds out about a new little film hitting cinemas called Star Wars.
Johnson’s passion and enthusiasm are infectious, making viewers who have likely had a similar mindset feel warmth and nostalgia. We’ve all had that feeling of being an outsider or ‘odd’ because of whatever genre we love. It also perfectly hits on young love, family strife, and general growing pains. While 5-25-77 is over two hours long, it doesn’t feel like it as we’re swept along with young Johnson’s plans and life outside the silver screen. His relationship with a girl he spots reading the 2001 novel is significant. While it moves the narrative into the more conventional coming-of-age drama territory, there’s still a large foot in geekdom.
It’s a film that’s been a long time coming, having been in development for around 20 years. The enthusiasm seen on screen is a testament to the effort and perseverance of Johnson. You don’t necessarily have to be a massive Star Wars fan to love this, or indeed, have to remember that first time seeing the start of George Lucas’ saga, but it helps. As for Pat Johnson, he went on to live his dream (his first film was the 1990 VHS cult favourite Spaced Invaders). The strong take home here is to follow that passion and dream.
5-25-77 is available on digital from May 1st.
