sour-mangos replied to your photoset
I mean,, I loved In a Heartbeat yes but,, the plot couldn't been better and it was pretty predictable,,
*Takes in deep breath* Here we go....
This film was not directed towards an older audience. Generally, the age of the characters is pretty close to the audience they want to achieve. So naturally, if you want a movie directed at children then you will have children as the main characters. That being said, In a Heartbeat was not aimed towards adults or teenagers. The short film was directed towards younger audiences. I’m not sure about you, but I would think that a video that threw in many loop holes and surprise plot twists wouldn’t remind the child of the main idea. They would get confused. Because it was aimed towards a younger audience, they had to keep the plot simple. It was easy enough for a young child to understand and learn from.
I have many siblings, a lot of them are becoming of the age where they are starting to like other kids. I showed them this video as soon as I could and they were able to understand the message of the video. They had little to no questions about the film, aside from maybe why the kids were making those rude faces to the two, but all in all, they understood what was going on. Had the plot been as intense as... lets say Supernatural or any other trending tv show, they would have gotten lost and miss the entire point of this film
The film did a wonderful job on showcasing a theme that isn’t normally covered in today’s media, especially for younger children. It was centered around a child who was homosexual and about him trying to hide his feelings. It’s come to my understanding that many people start to realize they have crushes on kids their own gender when they are young, but because of the media we see everyday, they think that it’s wrong, or that it isn’t real. So the more media we can put out for children about their own sexuality, the more comfortable the children can be.
And about it being predictable... honestly I personally didn’t think it was! Whenever I see LGBTQ+ content in a show, the character who happens to be bi or homosexual often doesn’t get those feeling conveyed back to them. Sherwin’s heart broke. Usually in that scene, that would have been the end of it. Sherwin has to deal with a broken heart BUT Jon comes back to heal his heart!! Sherwin and Job get a happy ending! When does that ever happen?! Really.
I understand that maybe you wished the movie catered to you more. But it was never only for you, it was for all the children out there who are trying to find out who they are. To learn about themselves and to assure themselves that it’s okay. They are okay. Nothing is wrong with them, it isn’t gross, it isn’t ‘just a phase’.
The creators handled this topic so well, they have my utmost respect in creating something that I would be able to show my younger siblings in hopes that it would shed light on who they are. Growing up, I never saw anything that spotlighted this type of subject and I’m so thankful that we as a people are giving it the representation it most definitely deserves and I will defend this film with my last breath.
(And I mean if you really want to discuss this further please feel free to message me privately and I can hear you out.)
TL;DR- This film was aimed towards kids. This was not just for the young adults who already know who they are, this is for the LGBTQ+ kids who are just starting to learn about themselves as a person.
