David and Hazel: A Story in Communication (1964)

Surprisingly well made - just depressing, 18 July 2017

The company where David works is going through layoffs. He's surprised to discover that one of his coworkers actually discusses work problems with his wife. Not David. He keeps it to himself, not wanting to upset his wife, Hazel. Instead, he doesn't eat, he doesn't sleep, and he is generally in a foul mood. From a friend, Hazel learns of David's work problems. When she tries to talk to him, David and Hazel have the biggest fight of their marriage. It's not only affecting them, but their three children as well. Can they learn to communicate?

The purpose of David and Hazel is to examine the importance of communication in a marriage. After watching, my initial reaction was to question the short's effectiveness. The film ends on a horribly depressing note. There is no resolution at the film's conclusion. Instead, we see David and Hazel sitting side-by-side in their living room, still unable to communicate. The more I thought about it, though, I realized that maybe that's the point. David and Hazel's miserable existence should be viewed as a cautionary tale. Communication is the key to avoiding a situation like David and Hazel's. So maybe the short was effective after all. What about entertaining? Well, it's just too depressing. There's really not much to latch onto here for entertainment purposes. David is an old school chauvinist (always fun) and Hazel reminds me of one of those housewives from the 60s who were fed tranquilizers by their doctors to keep them doped up. Sounds like a barrel of laughs.

The acting in David and Hazel is a step above what you'll find in similar films. The cast includes a very brief appearance from Percy Rodrigues. The name may not mean much, but if you grew up watching TV in the 70s, the face would certainly be familiar. The rest of the cast is competent and professional. In fact, I'd describe the entire production as competent and professional. Technically, David and Hazel is better than it has any right to be. It looks great.

In the end, you have a competently acted, professionally made short about the importance of communication. It does a reasonable job of conveying its message. However, the whole thing is so depressing it almost gets in the way of that message. I'll give this one a slightly below average 4/10.

4/10