GATHER IN THE CORNER: Balances Storytelling and Commentary

Shot as a documentary, a convivial, middle-aged Bill Cooper (Jeff Zornes) gives us a tour of his standard American home in the opening scene of Gather in the Corner. He takes us through the living area where he claims to spend a lot of time watching TV, the dining area, and the kitchen, where he introduces ceramic chicken collection and mugs with designs of chicken imprinted on them. “I kinda like chickens,” he says.

So far, pretty normal.

Cooper then introduces us to the locker that houses dozens of weapons and briefs the technical features of a few before zeroing in on a SIG SAUER P-226 handgun for a school safety program that he is about to conduct. You get a sense that Cooper is very well-versed with guns and has spent a significant portion of life playing with them, although it is not spelled out. That’s when we first feel the atypicality associated with the man, and it persists through the film.

Documentary Style Drives in Realism

The documentary aesthetic embeds much-needed realism and sets a clear and direct foundation for the character, thereby making it easier for us to understand him. His sheer familiarity in handling the guns paints a clear picture of how long he has been handling the weaponry. Considering the film’s 15-minute runtime, the opening scene gives us enough information about the character to follow through the proceedings, without having to ponder on the character’s personality.

Awkwardness Lightens Seriousness

The fun – or tension – begins after Cooper arrives in a classroom to instruct the students and an apprehensive teacher (Amanda Yeoman Brooke) about firearm safety in case gun violence erupts in the school. These sequences seamlessly amalgamate the absurdity and solemnity associated with the need of a gun in a school, with a pinch of awkwardness.

I couldn’t help but be reminded of The Office’s Michael Scott’s awkward interactions with students in the episode, “Job Fair.” Perhaps, it’s the documentary style and similar clumsiness and discomfort of the 7th graders when they see a hand-gun in their classroom.

The awkwardness works in favor of the film by lightening the mood of the film, although the situation in the classroom remains tense throughout the film. Causse emphasizes the fact that a classroom is no place for a gun, by addressing the nervousness and uneasiness among students, while also capturing Cooper’s indifference amid the absurdity. The opening scene expounds on Cooper’s indifference to the nervousness. For him, it’s everyday business. For the students, however, it’s not.

Conclusion: Gather in the Corner

The film works well as a subtle satire on school safety, a sensitive subject, while also being a light-hearted watch. Gather in the Corner strikes a fine balance between engaging storytelling and being a critique of school-safety methods. It’s no PSA, though. It’s more than a fun watch.

Have you seen the film? What are some of your favorite documentary-styled short films? Let us know in the comments below.

You can watch Gather In The Corner down below, on Vimeo, or on YouTube.