DROUGHT

US, 2020, 84 minutes, Colour.

Owen Scheid, Hannah Black, Meagan Petersen, Drew Scheid.

Directed by Hana Black and Meagan Petersen.

A family drama. A humanitarian film.

This is also a film that focuses on autism and men and women on the spectrum. The central character, Carl, is autistic, one of those savants with a specialisation, this time the weather and his desire to chase a brewing storm. His played by Owen Scheidt, his first film role. Owen Scheid is autistic himself and there are a number of interviews available with him about what it meant for him and his own experience on the spectrum and portraying it on screen.

The film is brief, and initial introduction to the family, very unsympathetic mother and father, a sister at home who is concerned about her brother. They both work in local supermarket but, Carl with his exact interpretation and literal interpretation of everything, falls foul of a woman who refuses to return her supermarket trolley. He struggles, she falls, and he is fired.

In the meantime, an older sister who has left the town long since, is urged to return by their mother to keep an eye on the family.

Then this becomes a road film, Carl and his sisters in a former ice cream van, and a friend of Carl’s, Lucas (played by Owen Scheid’s actual brother, Drew Scheid), rather carefree, along for the ride.

A lot of the drama is the interactions, especially between the two sisters. There is also Carl’s intensity about finding the storm, the demands of continuing, the repercussions of stopping on the way, some complications at a motel.

Ultimately, it might seem that Carl is made a mistake about the storm – but, eventually he has proven right.

The film was made in North Carolina, on a small budget, some crowdfunding by locals, and the film written and codirected by Hannah Black and Megan Peterson who also play the two sisters.

(For an interesting film interpretation of autistic experience, knowledge and understanding, storing and interpretation of information, the film Temple Grandin, with Clare Danes, is a significant contribution.)

1. The title? Weather and storms? Emotional drought?
2. The North Carolina settings, homes, town, on the road, motels, the countryside, the storm? The musical score?
3. The family, the parents, treatment of Sam, treatment of Carl? The story of their arrest?
4. The focus on Carl, autism, his age, self-presentation, at the supermarket, his insistence on the rules about the trolleys, hitting the girl, his being fired? Sam, at work, the boss, promising to tell Carl? Her not doing so? Back at the supermarket, the scene?
5. Lillian, long absence, her return, the mother’s phone call, tension with Sam?
6. Carl, knowledge of the weather, expertise, taking notes, observing, writing? Wanting to go to search for the storm? Lucas turning up, friend? The ice cream truck? Lillian and her reluctance? Going on the journey?
7. The interactions between the two sisters, memories, bitterness, fought on both sides? Carl and his relationship with them? Lucas, his presence in the van, cheerful?
8. Carl, expertise, taking everything absolutely literally, wanting to stop for food, demanding? The issue of the petrol, intending to steal the petrol, Carl and his finding the friendly man, the friendly man and his urging peace?
9. Carl, wanting his own way, the smashing of the camera? The apology through the old man?
10. The motel, staying the night, the tough stances of the proprietor, bargaining about prices? The two rooms? Sam and Lucas, the conversations? Her going out, the encounter with Nick and the conversation? Lillian finding her, the criticism?
11. Waking up, late, Carl missing, getting the keys back, searching for Carl? His explaining the situation to the young woman? The reactions of the sisters?
12. Continuing, or turning round? Carl and his calculations? The decision to go forward, to find the storm?
13. And some peacefulness after the family storms?