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Donut Shop Hero
27 minutes | Family | 2009 | 
United States of America
A room full of hostages will look to a security guard who looks like a cop to save them... Terror will reign. Love will be tested. And one man will rise, a donut shop hero.
SynopsisPete spends his morning patrolling a park, teaching himself how to whistle. While somewhere out there a cop is busting gang bangers, running down suspects, and solving murders, Pete's biggest hazard on the security guard beat is a close tie between fending off boredom and dealing with disaffected teenagers who throw a candy bar at his head between hits from a doobie. On break, Pete waits in line at a nearby donut shop. When Pete corrects a little boy who excitedly mistakes him for a cop, the little boy's shoulders drop in disappointment. How can adults, teenagers, or even children respect a security guard when he swaps shifts with a 65 year old woman? Pete's day takes a turn for the better when strangely, a beautiful, mysterious woman takes notice of him and strikes up a flirtatious conversation, eying his badges and well ironed uniform. Pete doesn't exactly say he IS a cop.
Director's Statement“We built the story around the concept that most people confuse uniforms for real authority. You see a guy in a uniform and you assume he’ll take responsibility, that he’s capable of handling a dangerous situation. No matter the uniform. He could be a meter maid, a traffic cop and we as a society assume he’s capable of standing up to a pair of trigger happy psychos. But in truth they’re just men and women in uniform, flawed and the real tragedy is our own perception that these men and women are any braver than the next guy.”
“All of our cinematic choices had to reinforce this hyper truth. Lighting, production design and camera angles were pushed just a hair beyond “natural” to heighten color and tone. Moments are stretched just a beat longer than what feels comfortable. Our main location, the donut shop, had been designed in homage to the original Willy Wonka movie which was perfect for our project since Donut Shop Hero rides this hyper reality that’s unpredictable and lawless. We were meticulous about every detail, casting, music, pace, the delicate shift from comedy to violence, even what order the donuts were placed in the box. But, it also meant we had to be flexible and defer to each other’s strengths as directors.”
Nick Harris & Charles Rhoads
Los Angeles, CA 2009
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Directed by
Charles Rhoads
Nick Harris -
Written by
Charles Rhoads
Nick Harris -
Produced by
Trina K. Sandal - Donut Shop Hero Website
Nick Harris
Written by: Charles Rhoads
Nick Harris
Produced by: Trina K. Sandal
Cast
Pete: Keith SullivanReporter: Shannon McKanna
Teen Girl: Lucy Roberts
Older Teen: Andrew Frischerz
Teen Guy: Dalton Leftwich
Rebecca: Caroline Amiguet
Zeke: Matt Ragan
Harry: Jon Allen
Isaac: Kevin Best
Bluetooth Man: Adam Schomer
Bearclaw: Peter Buitenhek
Gary: Ronald Major
Cashier: Rachel Kanouse
Ninja: Alexander Nguyen
Lucille: Carrie Hannenberger
Smart Ass Teen: Denham Leftwich
Patron 1: Ana Gatchell
Patron 2: Stevan Turk
Patron 4: Aaron Bahlman
Patron 3: Charles Rhoads
Little Man: Aaron Wayne Hill
Wheelchair Teen: Kyra Krenitsky
Crew
First Assistant Director: Lorin D. MillerUnit Production Manager: Trina K Sandal
First Assistant Director: Michael Westby
Grip/Electric: Kevin London
Composer: Lisa Liu
Cinematographer: Julien Janigo
Art Director: Shayna Banfe
Make-up Artist: Rachelle Hahn
Post-Production Sound: Chris Julian
Creative Mixing: Vita Tanga
Production Assistant: Helene Jouin
Music Editor: Carlos "Storm" Martinez
Las Vegas International Film and Video Festival -- Silver Ace Award (Won)
Cannes Film Festival - Short Film Corner -- Official Selection (Nominated)
Indie Fest USA (Anaheim, California) -- Award Of Merit (Won)
HollyShorts Short Film Festival -- Official Selection (Nominated)
The Indie Fest, La Jolla -- Award Of Merit (Won)
Donut Shop Hero is a black comedy about the illusion of authority and the ease with which most of society will shirk responsibility. Co-Written and Directed by Nick Harris and Charles Rhoads Donut Shop Hero was shot in 14 days in San Diego, California and completed in February of 2009.
Inspired by the frank violence of Don Seigel’s Dirty Harry and the films of Joel & Ethan Coen, Harris and Rhoads developed the script after they witnessed a little boy’s disappointment in discovering that a man in uniform at a fast food joint wasn’t a cop…he was just a security guard. The devastation on the Guard’s face and the disappointment in the little boy’s “oooohhh,” was enough to get the wheels turning and Harris and Rhoads soon found a way to develop this single moment into a fully realized story that is an “indictment of society’s apathy”. Revulsion for responsibility, the iconography of authority and the violence of power “all mixed with a dash of ballistic humor” have resulted in this highly stylized and meticulously crafted short film. Currently screening on the international film festival circuit, DONUT SHOP HERO puts a dark and tortured spin on the sweeping generalizations that very often lead to tragic results.
With an ensemble cast led by Keith Sullivan, Donut Shop Hero was produced by Trina Kumari Sandal, in association with Sunspot Pictures. Harris and Rhoads edited the film. Julien Janigo was the film’s cinematographer and Vita Tanga composed original music.
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Director
Charles RhoadsNick Harris
