SAY YOU WILL: A New Approach To Grief & Romance

It is beyond refreshing to see a modern day drama with romance not be so obsessed with the fact that romance has to encompass all themes in a film. Nick Naveda’s film debut, Say You Will, does just that, and gives me hope that the next generation of talented filmmakers are able to be self aware while still having the ability to set themselves apart stylistically.

Traumatic Events Shape You

Say You Will follows around Sam Nimitz, played by American Vandal star Travis Tope, as he navigates his life through relationships with his distressed mother and his complex childhood crush after his father commits suicide. With a storyline that could’ve ended up being depressing to watch, the characters and writing made Say You Will seem hopeful and endearing.

After amounting debt from crashing his recently departed father’s truck, Sam needed a job. Conveniently, his childhood crush Ellie (Katherine Hughes), currently working at a video store, helped him get one. Also having his license taken away after the crash, Ellie offered Sam rides to and from work, prompting them to hang out long after their shifts ended. With Ellie showing Sam the ropes, the two were able to become closer and form an intense bond over the day-to-day work at the video store. They were able to open up to each other in ways they never had before.

Taking place in the early 2000s, it makes sense why Sam was able to have a job at a video store. Considering now, most, if not all, video stores have become bankrupt and shut down. The video store acted as the central location for both characters to rebirth their relationships with each other.

With tycoon video streaming companies like Amazon (where you can now stream Say You Will) and Netflix, video stores now seem like an archaic pastime. This in turn adding to the nostalgia of the setting being predominantly shot at their workplace.

Perfectly Cast Performances

Travis Tope’s performance as Sam stood out to me, because while he was tasked with the difficulty of portraying a brooding Holden Caulfield-esque character, he managed to radiate a likability that complimented the unique storyline. The movie takes place some time after his father committed suicide, but through his interactions with his understandably depressed mother and his inability to be fully close with his longest friend – it shows that the wounds of his father’s departure are still fresh. Sam maintains a sort of matter of fact way about life; he even states: “There are two types of people in the world: the kind who leave and the kind who stay.”

As the film progresses so does his ideologies that maybe everything isn’t as black and white as he’s making it out to be. One thing that defines him though, is his ability to be absolutely driven and caring towards the people he loves. Whether it’s by making sure his grieving mother is going to be okay when he leaves for college, or his unshaken ability to be accepting towards Ellie, even with the mistakes she has made.

New Take On the ‘Cool Girl’

Katherine Hughe’s take on Ellie Vaughn was a refreshing character to see unfold and progress as the movie advanced. Ellie’s character could have just been written off as the typical popular girl who for some reason manages to fall in love with the social outcast protagonist. Characters with a similar stereotype remind me of Odeya Rush’s portrayal of Jenna Walton from Lady Bird. While Jenna Walton was at first glance a rich popular girl with little substance, we could see how she was shaped by her environments causing us to have more empathy towards her. 

Ellie Vaughn’s character from Say You Will took that to another level, while yes, she was another popular girl, Ellie managed to have a certain self awareness and therefore depth to most of her actions. You could see how the environment of her having to take up the role of being a mother to her younger siblings gave her a maturity juxtaposed with the feeling of entrapment.

While the film maintains the basic story arc of having a beginning, middle, and end, Say You Will maintains a certain level of unpredictability – which is hard to do in the modern era of remake after remake. A lot of movies with themes of romance like to push the idea that there’s always an immediate love connection between two people, or that whatever relationship the characters get into winds up having a picturesque ending. Contrarily, Say You Will differs in the way that it tries not so much to focus on the romance aspect of the characters, but rather locks in on the actual relationship dynamics between two people.

The way scenes were filmed contained an importance and symbolism for the viewers to understand where the relationship between the characters stood physically, but also more importantly: emotionally. We are shown from the very beginning the influence that music has on Sam’s life by displaying his room with all of his posters and musical instruments scattered about. We can understand what state his mother is in just by one shot of her in pajamas with her body laid out on their living room couch. These simple elements make it important for when there is a change within the characters. You can visibly see character development by revisiting a location and seeing what’s changed about the situation.

Conclusion: Say You Will

Avoiding the classic cliches of a grieving teenager, Nick Naveda’s smashing film debut will pleasantly surprise any movie lover. It perfectly captures the feeling of loss and romantic confusion fused into one coherent theme. With such dark topics, it is a remarkable triumph for any filmmaker, let alone in a film debut, to successfully and respectfully tackle such material. Such a skill and passion is something to pay attention to, and I am looking forward to see whatever project Nick Naveda decides to spearhead next. Say You Will makes you realize that you don’t have to have a five year plan for every next step you take in life.

It’s okay to figure things out as you go, and it makes you question: Does every decision you make have to be one way or the other, or is there an in between in life – a sort of compromise?

Have you seen Say You Will? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Say You Will was released on June 8, 2017 and is now streaming on Amazon, Vudu, iTunes, and Google Play.