I Got This

We don’t typically review comedies on the platform. But in thinking about Chris’s wonderful Crumpets article on the purpose of short films, I got to thinking about the breadth of stories told through independent cinema. Compared to mainstream, the range of genres seems narrow (predominantly drama, documentary, and horror). This reality means we need to dig deeper to find nuggets and granules of other works in this segment of the industry. Given the random approach to seeking out more thematic variety, I stumble upon one.

I Got This is a comedy short starring Rome Shadanloo (The Last Shift, Beyond Paradise) as Jennifer, a reticent mother who comes clean to her partner about the fact that he is not her 3-year-old daughter’s father and she doesn’t know who is. Jack De Sena (Lego Monkie Kid: Embrace Your Destiny, This Could Be a Podcast) plays Chris, Jennifer’s self-effacing and dedicated partner who insists that the biological father, nonetheless, has the right to know he has a child. The late 20-something year-old couple sets out to covertly collect biological samples from each of her past encounters for DNA testing. (Despite the humor, one scene in this part of the film should be accompanied by a trigger warning since it is quite graphic.) 

Except for the courage of such young people, this is not an unusual story. Several past and present daytime television talk shows commodify personal stories like this — about women who are less than forthcoming about their child’s biological father. Billed as entertainment, the shows typically devolve into silliness, rancor, and even physical fights among family members. It was refreshing to see that this film was a quiet story centered only on the two people involved. Instead of family conflict and high-level acrimony, this story is tame and honest as it depicts another, more humorous, way of handling an awkward and emotionally painful situation.

The film got me thinking about the notion of family, which is similar to themes in the film, Mr. Church. In our critique, we noted that a family isn’t just limited to shared genes. Along these lines, I couldn’t help but wonder if the answer Jennifer and Chris are looking for really matters. Yes, I know, but hear me out. 

Often the relationships between children and stepparents are indistinguishable from those between children and their biological parents. Having already stood in the role of dad for three years — which included changing diapers, playing with her in the snow, reading to her before bed, and all the things that parents often do for their children — Chris’s love and affection for his child is highly unlikely to change after learning who the biological father is. Case in point: After breaking the news to Chris and announcing her plans to move, Jennifer adds, “Maybe you can live nearby or come visit regularly. That would be ideal.” Such a statement likely sounds ridiculous to someone who is emotionally attached to the child he has raised since birth. Simultaneously, it conveys the emotionally wrenching prospect of pulling a family apart – blood-related or not. 

So, what constitutes family, and what does it mean to be a father? One thing for sure, a shared biology is not a necessary condition for either, right?

Available on Film Shortage