Going Nowhere

Coming-of-age dramedies are a timeless genre. The reason is simple: growing up is never easy. As you enter adulthood, you start facing a lot of problems and responsibilities, and life can easily become an overwhelming experience. That was not only my case, but that of many friends as we entered our twenties and started to realize that things aren’t as easy as everyone says are going to be. Depression, broken hearts, family tensions, financial problems, and existential conflicts suddenly began to become the main themes in every conversation, pushing aside our juvenile talks about dreams and ambitions, music and movies, or dates. All of that started to fade away as we were confronted by the ugly side of life, pushing us to confusion and nihilism. It really was a dark time, and, as the title suggests, we really felt like we were going nowhere.

Going Nowhere is the kind of indie dramedy that can be easy to shoot as it is basically inexpensive and very contained in characters and locations, but that can heavily resonate among young audiences who are struggling to become adults. If you ever felt confused about your work, this story is for you. If you ever felt overwhelmed by family problems, this story is for you. If you ever thought that you had found the love of your life just to be disappointed in a heartbreaking way, this story is for you. If you ever just wanted (or even succeeded) to escape from everything and end up realizing that there is no escape and that you have to face the facts, this story is for you. After all, all of these subjects and experiences are explored through our three main characters, and the script doesn’t offer any easy answer because life doesn’t give you easy answers. You have to figure it out by yourself. You have to hit wall after wall until you finally find what you need to find – and that’s what our characters do. They end up finding some answers to carry on, but not the answers to life. Those will depend on every person on their own.

What the script does offer is a beautiful sense of comfort and understanding – something rather important, because when you’re confused in your early twenties, it is most likely that you will feel that no one else does. And you can feel quite alone because of that. The only good thing from the real experiences that inspired this script, was that sense of understanding, that connection you could develop with friends that were going through similar problems. Such an element plays a key role in this story, becoming the heart and driving force of it as these friends never leave each other. They carry on through life with each other’s help, and that’s maybe the best thing we can do… but not everyone shares that fortune, and if you don’t have a friend by your side, then the next best thing might be a movie that says “Hey, I get you. You’re not in this alone. You’ll be alright”. I have had that kind of support from movies while struggling with anxiety or depression, and I want to believe that Going Nowhere is that kind of movie. That’s really what is meant to do. And maybe with your help, it’ll get a chance to do just that.

A FEW REVIEWS...

"Going Nowhere" is a screenplay set in Southern California in the 1970s, revolving around the mundane and stifling life of Jimmy Evans, a 21-year-old man of half-American and half-Mexican descent, and his best friend Ryan Bielski. The narrative captures Jimmy’s struggles with his dead-end job at a burger restaurant called "The Smiling Chubby," his difficult family life, and his yearning for a different existence away from the drudgery of his daily routines.

As Jimmy deals with an oppressive boss, Mr. Barton, and his condescending daughter Gina at work, he also confronts the problems at home where his family relies heavily on his financial support, yet offers little gratitude. His only respite seems to come from his discussions with Ryan, who is similarly disillusioned with life. Ryan, dealing with his own issues of a recent breakup, often philosophizes about the pressures of corporate control and societal expectations.

Their daily lives are depicted as a series of frustrating encounters and conversations about the limitations and small tyrannies of their working lives, interspersed with moments of camaraderie and small rebellions against their circumstances. The plot escalates when Jimmy's frustrations boil over leading to a confrontation at his workplace where he is accused of theft and ends up on a spontaneous road trip with Ryan and a new acquaintance, Reb, who asks for a ride to San Francisco. The narrative builds toward a climax of self-discovery and confrontation with the consequences of their actions, as they return to face the realities they had momentarily escaped.

Themes of freedom versus responsibility, the oppressive nature of societal expectations, and the yearning for a more authentic life resonate throughout the screenplay, painting a vivid picture of the struggles of young adults in the 1970s." - Wallachia International Film Festival