Run, Jamie

Run, Jamie

Directed by Tyler Baker  

from San Diego State University

When we first encounter Mark, he is in a precarious position as a father. His son, Chris, is at the age where his dad just can’t seem to do anything right. His daughter, Olivia, is still young enough to believe he can do no wrong. That is changing fast, however, because the family is moving, and in their eyes, it’s all his fault. His wife, Jamie, is doing everything she can to keep the peace. She has been able to hold this conflict at bay for now, but on this Sunday afternoon, everything is about to change.

While leaving the ballpark after Olivia’s little league softball game, Mark ate a hot dog from the concession stand, and it is making its way through him FAST. As the family walks to the car, a small argument between Mark and Chris about the game soon becomes a huge argument about the upcoming move, and more specifically, what will become of the family dogs buried in the backyard of their family home. As this argument begins to erupt, so too does Mark’s stomach, and he quickly dismisses Chris in order to get the family to the car as quickly as possible.

After finally reaching the car, Mark’s boxers are still in-tact, but it is clear that Chris’s anger has not subsided. He wants to have this conversation, and he wants to have it now. As the two argue, the tension is escalated further by the realization that the car is dead. After Mark blows up at Chris in frustration, Chris finally makes the decision to give up on his father. He tells him to “go shit his [your] pants” before getting out of the car and running away. Mark realizes that he must risk his image, and potentially his pair of pants, in order to chase after his son and redeem himself.

Mark and Chris are finally able to find a compromise: Mark is willing to bring the family dogs with them to the new home, and he will even throw in a funeral. He will build Chris a new clubhouse so all of his friends can stay the night. He even allows himself to be extorted by Olivia for three brand-new bunnies. In exchange, Chris makes the active decision that he no longer wants to see his father do the unthinkable. The two steal a pair of bikes from someone’s yard, and race through the backstreets on their way home.

In the meantime, Jamie and Olivia are finally able to get the battery running, and chase after the boys down the road. The entire family is present as Mark takes those last few steps, in slow-motion, toward the door. But as he reaches their doorstep, his excited run is transformed into a slow, defeated walk. He has finally done it. He shit himself. In the final moments of the film, the kids look on at their father with laughter and pride as Jamie rinses him off with a garden hose in the backyard. Every kid needs a dad who gives a shit.

Get to know the Director Tyler Baker

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