Hero Tomorrow

I finally had the chance to see Hero Tomorrow yesterday at CIFF (The Cleveland International Film Festival). There was northeast Ohio in all it's glory up on the big screen. Rainy fall weather and Cuyahoga Falls make cameo appearances in this tale of a frustrated, wannabe comic creator and his fashion designer, comic shop clerk girlfriend. The film has screened at the San Diego Comic Con, and I hope it receives wider distribution. Low budget, the film has more in common with indie flicks about ambition and connection than with the super-hero special effects laden extravaganzas coming out of Hollywood.

David, the comic creator, writes and draws a hero called Apama, which he has steeped in a mishmash of demi-Native American lore. From his description of the character's origins, though, he seems to have based it on a old blanket he has hanging in his room more than on any real folklore. David can draw, and he has an active imagination and a basic grasp on storytelling, but can not get the attention of any publishers. He works a job as a landscaper and owes a large credit card bill racked up on comic purchases.

David's girlfriend Robyn works in the local comic shop, and longs to be a serious designer. This feels a little forced in that she's living in NE Ohio. I know we have the Kent State Fashion Museum, but shouldn't she be longing to move to New York or Paris? She makes David a costume based on his Apama creation.

We learn that David has been rejected and kicked out by his parents for "wasting" his life drawing comics, and that Robyn has a problematic relationship with her mother and has been on anti-depressants. Robyn has had some limited success in her career, and she wants more. Conflicts at home cause her to stop taking her medications.

Although the cast is believable, we never get a sense of what has drawn the main characters together. Based on the way they are written, it seems likely that Robyn initiated the relationship with David. David is likable enough, and it's easy to see why he chooses to immerse himself in an imaginary world. He has limited success with a career, we never get a sense of how much training he has versus talent, and he's been rejected by his family and his questionable friends. As he spirals downward, becoming his creation, his use of drugs seems a little out of character. Since this story is set in the "real" world, it should not surprise the audience that David's "heroic" moments as Apama have questionable results.

The director, Ted Sikora, has a very succesfully executed twist that leads into a happy ending. He has also made Ohio seem more vibrant than we are generally perceived by the rest of the country. He has included scenes featuring local rockers and our local parks. I was especially please that he included soy milk and healthy cereal in his final act, since we are generally written about as being inactive and not health conscious in this area.

If you have the opportunity make the time to take in this flick and support Ohio film makers.