Red, White and Blue (2023 film)
{{Short description|2023 American short film}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Red, White and Blue
| image = Red, White and Blue 2023.jpg
| alt = Promotional release poster for Red, White and Blue
| caption = Promotional release poster
| director = Nazrin Choudhury
| screenplay = Nazrin Choudhury
| based_on =
| producer = {{plainlist|
- Nazrin Choudhury
- Sara McFarlane
- Samantha Bee
}}
| starring = {{Plainlist|
- Brittany Snow
- Juliet Donenfeld
- Redding Munsell
}}
| cinematography = Adam Suschitzky
| editing = Phil McLaughlin
| music = Peter Karr
| studio = Majic Ink Productions
| distributor =
| released = {{Film date|2023|09|30|Edmonton|2023|10|15|Hawaii}}
| runtime = 24 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget =
| gross =
}}
Red, White and Blue is a 2023 American drama short film written, directed, and produced by Nazrin Choudhury. Starring Brittany Snow and Juliet Donenfeld, it tells the story of a single mother traveling with her daughter in search of an abortion.
Red, White and Blue premiered at the Edmonton International Film Festival on September 30, 2023, where it won the Grand Jury Award for Best Live Action Short. It was nominated for Best Live Action Short Film at the 96th Academy Awards.
Synopsis
Rachel, a single mother working as a waitress, urgently searches for an abortion. Because she lives in Arkansas, where abortion is effectively illegal, she travels with her preteen daughter Maddy to an abortion clinic in Illinois.
Once they arrive at the clinic, Rachel reveals that she is seeking an abortion for her daughter, not herself. A flashback implies that her daughter was sexually assaulted. The procedure is performed and the two return home; the film ends as they celebrate her daughter's birthday.
Cast
- Brittany Snow as Rachel
- Juliet Donenfeld as Maddy
- Redding Munsell as Jake
Production
Written, directed, and produced by British-American filmmaker Nazrin Choudhury, Red, White and Blue was informed by Choudhury's own experience seeking an abortion when she lived in the United Kingdom.{{cite web |last1=Bright |first1=Charles |title=Nazrin Choudhury ('Red, White and Blue' director) on the real life repercussions of abortion bans in her Oscar shortlisted film [Exclusive Video Interview] |url=https://www.goldderby.com/feature/nazrin-choudhury-red-white-and-blue-director-video-interview-1205667417/ |website=Gold Derby |access-date=17 February 2024 |date=8 January 2024}} On December 7, 2023, it was announced that the film would be executive produced by Samantha Bee, who described the film as "storytelling at its best; sharp, gutting, and I pray, impactful.{{cite web |last1=Petski |first1=Denise |title=Samantha Bee Boards Oscar-Qualifying Short 'Red, White And Blue' As Executive Producer |url=https://deadline.com/2023/12/samantha-bee-red-white-and-blue-nazrin-choudhury-oscars-1235657063/ |website=Deadline Hollywood |access-date=17 February 2024 |date=7 December 2023}}
Reception
Red, White and Blue received largely positive reviews from critics. In a review for The New York Times, Jeannette Catsoulis named the film the "clear standout" of the year's Academy Award nominees for Best Live Action Short Film, writing, "Painstakingly constructed from small, telling details, the movie ends with the kind of sting that lingers longer than any news report."{{cite web |last1=Catsoulis |first1=Jeannette |title='The 2024 Oscar Nominated Short Films' Review: Small Running Times, Large Themes |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/15/movies/the-2024-oscar-nominated-short-films-review.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=17 February 2024 |date=15 February 2024}} Cathy Newman of Channel 4 News described the film as "a punch to the gut",{{cite web |last1=Newman |first1=Cathy |title=Red, White and Blue: Oscar nominated short film explores the US's strict abortion laws |url=https://www.channel4.com/news/red-white-and-blue-oscar-nominated-short-film-explores-the-uss-strict-abortion-laws |website=Channel 4 News |access-date=17 February 2024 |date=15 February 2024}} and Pete Hammond of Deadline wrote that the film carries a "stunning impact".{{Cite web |last=Hammond |first=Pete |date=2024-02-27 |title='2024 Oscar Nominated Short Films' Review: 15 Shorts In 3 Crucial Categories That Could Determine Who Wins Your Pool |url=https://deadline.com/2024/02/2024-oscar-nominated-short-films-reviews-1235837502/ |access-date=2024-02-28 |website=Deadline Hollywood |language=en-US}}
Collin Souter of RogerEbert.com praised Snow and Donenfeld's performances, but also wrote that the film "overstates the obvious, with a twist ending that will leave every viewer gobsmacked at the end instead of enlightened, angry or motivated to help make change."{{cite web |last1=Souter |first1=Collin |title=Short Films in Focus: The 2024 Oscar-Nominated Short Films {{!}} Features {{!}} Roger Ebert |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/features/short-films-in-focus-the-2024-oscar-nominated-short-films |website=RogerEbert.com |access-date=17 February 2024 |language=en |date=15 February 2024}}
References
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