Sundance 2021: Mass: The Forgiveness and Film We All Need

2020 was a thoroughly exhausting year for most of us. We found ourselves fumbling to live amidst a raging pandemic and, many of us, through the politicians who didn’t do anything to protect us. Not only that, but in the US, the political climate was so divided with reckless disinformation and hate, that it left the country with a wound that has done nothing but fester and incite violence the likes the country hasn’t seen since the Civil War.

The January attack of the American capitol in Washington D.C. gave politicians their first taste of what it felt like when armed gunmen freely entered an arena they were never supposed to. Feelings, I’m sure, that resonated with those who have been victims in school and other mass shootings.

Enter on the stage Mass. Written and directed by Fran Kranz, Mass explores what happens when the parents of a mass shooter and the parents of one of his victims come together for a talk.

Awkwardness, Pain and Shame

The film opens in a rural church. Judy, the church coordinator, played by Breeda Wool, who starred in a very enjoyable short I covered in last years Bentonville Film Festival, is fussing over particulars regarding a gathering that we have no details on.

Jay (Jason Isaacs) and Gail (Martha Plimpton) hesitantly pull up. Reluctant to even get out of the car, they sit in awkwardness awaiting something we have yet to know. The tension escalates when they encounter Richard (Reed Birney) and Linda (Ann Dowd) in the meeting room.

Source: Sundance Film Festival

Brilliantly portrayed awkwardness ensues as the couples flounder through niceties and small talk, covering up the searing pain like a paltry potpourri sprinkled on a rotting corpse. The quiet moments betwixt are deafening and the discomposure sets in an incredible sense of irritation that makes the watcher want to crawl out of their skin, in order to call out the elephant in the room.

As the conversations continue and we are fed information piece by piece, we become aware of just how deeply serious and horrific the underlying story is. It may make some want to bail. Yet we are set up so gently; so purposefully, we find ourselves too invested to walk away.

“He Was Quiet and He Was Doing Well”

It is revealed that Richard and Linda’s son, Hayden, killed Jay and Gail’s son, Evan, in a mass school shooting. Emotions race with the ups and downs of a never-ending rollercoaster. Who do we blame, what is responsible? The conversations veer through a gamut of topics ranging from the failures of the mental health system, video games, isolation, parenting, the school, biology and bullying.

Humans, in general. try to find something or someone to blame when something tragic happens. It’s in our nature to want to know why. However, the details usually elude us and we are left only with assumption and ignorance. We rarely ever get to hear both sides of a story and sometimes an action is too terrifying to want to.

Kranz does an impeccable job with this quagmire, touching upon every question, disagreement and complication one could think of, with intelligence and meticulous craft. Every argument one side comes up with is countered with an equally compelling argument from the other side. His brilliant script gives the actors every precious word that they need to immerse themselves in the characters and render authentic, performance perfection.

Each of the four leads are powerhouse actors in their own right but I was astounded by their ability to hit every nuance of the character’s grief. Nothing is held back. They navigate the roller coaster ride with a capability that has eluded them all until this film and that is, obviously, saying a LOT.

Source: Sundance Film Festival

I am a huge fan of Isaacs and have been ever since I saw him in The Patriot. I grew up watching Plimpton in so many 80’s films and Dowd is my personal success story heroine. Birney is so versatile that I didn’t even recognize that he was in another Sundance film on my roster, The Strawberry Mansion. Each of them bring all of their years of experience and lovingly pour it into each character manifesting their best works to date.

Using all of the these elements, Kranz embroiders an exceptional and painstakingly intricate symposium on the effects of gun violence, grief, authenticity, blame and suffering, mixed with the beauty of whole hearted and sometimes agonizing forgiveness.

In All Honesty…

I never saw this one coming. Mass was my absolute favorite feature of the films I saw at Sundance 2021. I was speechless at the lack of accolades it received in Sundance’s awards.

I spoke with one of the producers who was at the festival and he told me that they managed to film this in a matter of two incredible weeks. Truly astounding. It shows you the level of talent, dedication and preparation involved in both the cast and crew.

Mass reminded me of one of the gorgeous, sleeper indies that manifested itself into the Oscar’s, in the days when films weren’t just one recycling after another. A time when originality and craft were chosen over flash and noise. A time when character mattered and the heroes looked like you and me. A time when what a film had to say was more important than how rich it could make someone.

Mass takes an incredibly controversial and violent subject and breaks it down to essential humanity proving the overwhelming power of forgiveness. It gives us hope that even through the most unspeakable horror, that we can still heal and that it is possible to see those that we want to demonize with compassion.

Source: Sundance Film Festival

In the Q&A, Dowd broke down a bit when discussing her character and relayed how she “held the grief” of a parent that lost a child throughout her time filming. As Linda, she gave the most realistic depiction of that loss that I’ve seen in a very long time.

Isaacs talked about how he found himself filled with hatred, at times, for all of the disgusting things that were happening in the world, from our toxic politics to the people suffering under it. He stated that this film helped him to see the humanity in others and the importance of forgiveness.

And we need forgiveness and compassion more than anything right now. The United States has had 31 mass shootings in January of this year alone. The worldly pandemic has kept us all more isolated than ever. Real human interaction and connection eludes us, as we all rely on electronics to work and communicate safely.

We need more compassionate films as well. Kranz’s feature debut is outstanding. Full of heart, honesty and naked vulnerability, you could tell that he was just as invested in this project as the awe-inspiring actors. The question is, upon the well deserved success of this film, will Kranz be able to continue to put out that level of passion and heart in the rest of his works? I hope he does because I’m rooting for him. At this profit obsessed junction in film history, I’d be thrilled if even half the films that were distributed had the same level of care and attention to detail that Mass has.

Art is meant to inspire; make us think; bring us together; show us different perspectives and teach us things we couldn’t learn any other way. As artists I believe we have a responsibility to use our platforms for as much good as we can, especially when we get the privilege of a green light on our work. Art doesn’t have to be as “deep” as Mass, but there are all kinds of ways we can inspire and put our best forward in all of the choices we make.

Bravo Fran. You’ve set your bar high and proven that you can meet it. I look forward to seeing what you choose to do with your spotlight.