Private Project

PERMITTED

Logline: As a teacher develops an obsessive crush on a coworker, he gradually loses his grip on reality--when he arms himself and heads to the high school graduation, it leads to unthinkable consequences.

PERMITTED is a low budget, psychological drama that follows mild-mannered, socially awkward teacher, Art Maddson as he develops an obsessive crush on a coworker. As his perception becomes more twisted, he believes she is having an affair with a student, and this realization jolts him to the very core. He chooses the venue of high school graduation to end it all in a murder-suicide, but unbeknownst to him, he is not the only person coming to the high school armed. Chaotic events turn Art into an unlikely hero, leaving the town ignorant of his fragile hold on reality, and allowing him to remain as a teacher and leader in the school.

PERMITTED explores the limits of human perception, the issue of guns in schools, and the dangers of seeing only what we want to see.

  • Lori Lyle
    Director
    Glass Cages, Gallup
  • Lori Lyle
    Writer
    Glass Cages, Gallup, Bird in Hand, PC50, Indulgences
  • Lori Lyle Films
    Producer
  • Will Nicol
    Key Cast
    "Art"
  • Jessica Staples
    Key Cast
    "Bettina"
  • Mark Bracich
    Key Cast
    "Leonard"
  • Austin Roy
    Key Cast
    "Biggy"
  • Landon Kaston
    Key Cast
    "Trent"
  • Jim Hurley
    Key Cast
    "Billy"
  • Charla Bocchicchio
    Key Cast
    "Lieutenant Stevens"
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 42 minutes 42 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 31, 2020
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    RED
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Lori Lyle

After earning her Master’s degree in psychology, Lori Lyle worked for seventeen years as a therapist, where she developed a deep understanding of human behavior and the human condition. Four years ago, she retired from her day job and devoted her time to translating her knowledge of character, emotions and behavior to the screen. Along with Gallup and Glass Cages she now has completed a feature length film, Permitted, and four feature-length scripts to her name.
She works monthly with Jessica Hinds, of Meditative Writing and is constantly striving to perfect her craft. She is interested in the timeless themes of identity, truth and ethics, as well as using landscape as a character in her work. She is also fascinated with small-town life, and the pathos of ordinary people simply trying to live their lives.
Lori Lyle is married, and lives in Southern Utah. She has two grown daughters and splits her time between writing, hiking, and observing the world around her.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I got the idea for this film more than ten years ago, while living and working as a drama coach in a Wyoming high school. At that time, the legislature was considering allowing teachers to carry concealed weapons in schools to prevent school shootings. My mind immediately went from providing healthy after-school snacks and helping little Jimmy with stage fright— to horrific images of all the things that could go wrong arming teachers. The increased possibility for accidents aside, I’ve worked in enough schools to realize that being a teacher is not a guarantee of good mental health or emotional stability. To me it seems self -evident that allowing MORE guns in schools, will undoubtedly lead to MORE shootings in schools.

My story takes place in a fictitious town in rural Wyoming. I wrote this film as a cautionary tale and to give a very gentle opinion. But that changed when I directed it. I decided to make the movie to raise questions, not to give answers. And I feel that Permitted does just that, it raises questions. What if: A socially awkward teacher had a deeper disturbance? What if: He developed an obsession with another teacher? What if: He felt jilted by her and started imagining things? What if: That teacher had a permit to bring a gun to school? But the main questions are: what do we, as a society, do about guns getting into the wrong hands? And how do we even know what the “wrong hands” are?

In Permitted, my main character is a teacher. But the main character could just as easily be a student, parent or community member, and sadly, this could happen anywhere in the country. Permitted shows the inner workings of a town — the day to day life, both obvious and behind closed doors. I wanted a natural feel and natural situations—so I used local actors and filmed 100% on location to achieve that quality. I started with the camera on sticks, and deliberately changed to more hand-held as the movie progressed. Art’s descent into madness is gradual and feels very real to the audience. This movie is meant to challenge our perceptions and confuse us a little. It gives us insights into the pathos of ordinary peoples’ lives—lives that can be changed in an instant.