A Man Full of Trouble

A Man Full of Trouble is a comedy about a foul-mouthed and contentious Alexander Hamilton reenactor in Philadelphia. Nicholas Crane (Hamilton) is continually at odds with the city, its tourists, and most importantly, Thomas Jefferson. When Hamilton is replaced with Jefferson for the city’s extravagant Constitutional Convention reenactment, Nicholas must fight for his job as well as historical accuracy. Nicholas's commitment to history and the reenactment is thwarted when his affair with Isabelle, an uneducated reenactor, is discovered - an affair that bears an uncanny likeness to Hamilton's infamous Philadelphia sex scandal with Maria Reynolds.

  • Michael Johnston
    Director
    Irina
  • Michael Johnston
    Writer
    Irina
  • David Leith Fraser
    Producer
  • Keith Conallen
    Key Cast
  • Corinna Burns
    Key Cast
  • Dito Van Reigersberg
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    19 minutes 39 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 28, 2017
  • Production Budget:
    17,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    RED
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes
  • Hoboken International Film Festival
    Greenwood Lake, NY
    United States
    May 21, 2017
    World Premiere
  • Stonefair International Film Festival
    Piatra Neamt
    Romania
    May 15, 2017
  • Calcutta International Cult Film Festival
    Calcutta
    India
  • The Iron Mule Short Comedy Comedy Film Festival
    Brooklyn
    United States
  • Pittsburgh Independent Film Festival
    Pittsburgh
    United States
    June 23, 2017
  • Indie Street Film Festival
    Red Bank
    United States
    July 27, 2017
  • LA International Shorts Festival
    Los Angeles
    United States
    August 8, 2017
    Los Angeles
  • Kew Gardens Festival of Cinema
    Queens
    United States
    August 5, 2017
  • Miami Short Film Festival
    Miami
    United States
    November 11, 2017
    Florida Premiere
  • Adirondack Film Festival
    Glen Falls
    United States
    October 21, 2017
  • Virginia Film Festival
    Charlottesville
    United States
    November 10, 2017
    Virginia
  • Geneva Film Festival
    Geneva, IL
    United States
    March 10, 2018
    Illinois Premiere
    Best Narrative Short
Director Biography - Michael Johnston

Michael received his MFA in Film & Media Arts from Temple University.
A Man Full of Trouble is his graduate thesis film. Michael is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Cinema, Television, and Media Production at Kutztown University.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I wanted to write a comedy that was specific to Philadelphia. Living only one block from Independence Hall it was very common for me to see an historical re-enactor leading a group of tourists through the cobblestone streets of Old City. The colonial re-enactors always wearing their tri-corn hats, vests, breeches, and buckle shoes. I found their dedication to preserving history awe-inspiring; their dedication inspired A Man Full of Trouble.

What it must be like to speak with great passion about our nation’s Founding Fathers to a bickering family on their summer vacation or handling the same, tired jokes about how the Liberty Bell really got its crack. A Man Full of Trouble examines Nicholas Crane, a passionate Alexander Hamilton re-enactor working in a dispassionate world. Nicholas is suffocating in his cravat and stockings in the summer heat and suffocating in a tourism industry dominated by generating revenue and a love for Thomas Jefferson.