Thirteen years ago, my wife and I were placed in that situation where we had to come up with a name for our yet-to-be-born daughter. I had a name in my mind for years, but once family members heard it along with my last name, I was subjected to various sit-down discussions to change my mind. It only took us a month to agree to a name, and it was one that we both loved.
In Louis Delva’s The Name of the Son, married couple Tina (Anne Marivin) and Fred (Lionel Abelanski) are tasked with coming up with a name for a girl leading to an unexpected reveal. Go to YouTube, and you’ll find hundreds of sketches featuring this premise. It’s not exactly an original idea, what makes Delva’s short work is the fact it’s not a comedy sketch. Instead, he delivers dramatic short with comedic elements.
“…married couple Tina and Fred are tasked with coming up with a name for a girl leading to an unexpected reveal.”
They hit on the usual punchlines like names that rhyme with obscenities, names of ex-partners, and made-up names. There’s an especially hilarious moment at a coffee shop and a cashier named Thorvald (sp?). As unoriginal as the story is, the short is endearing thanks to the performances by Marivin and Abelanski. They are a wonderful couple, who reason and fight like a real couple. For that last drop of sappy goodness is a reveal that…well, let’s just leave it at that.
The Name of the Son (2019) Directed by Louis Delva. Written by Jennifer Delvodere. Starring Anne Marivin, Lionel Abelanski, Angèle Metzger. The Name of the Son screened as part of the Opening Gala of the 2019 Palm Springs ShortFfest.
8 out of 10 stars
