[yasr_overall_rating]
One bullet. Three lives. Everyone pays. On an average Los Angeles day, a couple on the verge of divorce and a bullied teenager find their lives desperately changed when the teen’s illegal gun accidentally goes off.
What is the human cost of gun violence in urban America? That is the question that plagues a young man named Miguel in “Shot,” who accidentally discharges a gun in Los Angeles, striking and subsequently paralyzing an innocent bystander. The bystander, played by Noah Wyle – perhaps best known for his days on the television series “ER” – also co-produced the film.
Directed and produced by Jeremy Kagan, based on his story idea, the film is a moving portrait of a man trying to come to terms with his victimhood. Wyle plays Mark, an overworked film editor whose marriage has fallen apart as a result. Sharon Leal plays Mark’s wife Phoebe, a family counselor whose professional skills are sorely tested after her soon-to-be ex-husband is shot. Wyle as Mark undergoes a wide range of emotions in the film – from fear to anger to misery – as he tries to come to terms with his handicap.
The main thrust of the story begins when Miguel, played empathetically by Jorge Lendeborg Jr., is persuaded by a friend that carrying a gun will protect him against the bullies hounding him. When the gun unexpectedly goes off, Mark, who is walking with Phoebe, is hit in the chest, and Miguel’s journey of anguish begins.
Paramedics stabilize Mark on the scene, led by Malcolm-Jamal Warner as EMT Jones, after which we accompany them to the hospital. Xander Berkeley, the often-underappreciated character actor, makes an extended appearance in the emergency room as Dr. Roberts, the attending physician.
In some ways, “Shot” reminded me of “Open Water,” which played out over several hours of increasing hopelessness and desperation, also owing to a random accident. Both films have the feel of drama and documentary, which makes them more effective story vehicles in the process.
In early scenes of “Shot,” split screens simultaneously show the ongoing plight of both Mark and Miguel. While often an effective narration tool, in this case, the technique seems somewhat overdone and starts to become a distraction.
Interestingly, the movie opens with a scene that could be right out of the Clint Eastwood film, “Hang ‘Em High.” The metaphor of the Wild West, popularized for decades by Hollywood movies is no accident. The scene of the bad guys getting shot clearly juxtaposes with the increasingly salient truth that people in the United States don’t live on the frontier anymore. Widespread use of guns in densely populated cities has become an ugly anachronism for modern times. The producers point out that 90 people in the U.S. die each day from gunfire and another 200 are hospitalized with gunshot wounds.
“Shot” is also a cautionary tale, particularly for morons the world over who fire weapons into the air in celebration of major holidays or for mindless fun. Those projectiles come down somewhere and the impact can change a life for the worse in the blink of an eye.
There is a scene toward the end where the director engages in what is essentially a scenario planning exercise for Mark, which is instructive. The scene is a reminder of cause and effect, and the often-associated unintended consequences resulting from one’s deeds. Indeed, the world would be a better place if more people had the foresight to map out possible future scenarios in advance of their actions.
“Shot” is a thoughtful look at the effects of urban gun violence on a personal level. Recommended viewing for all.
In theaters Friday, September 22nd
