Jay (Todd Giglio) and Matt (Christopher Springer) are blue-collar workers who used to be in a rock band together. Matt flaked out, however, and the band missed its shot at the big time. Flash forward to now and Jay’s devotion to his music is starting to take its toll on his family and Matt’s devotion to irresponsibility is starting to take a toll on his friendship with Jay.
“Drawing With Chalk” is all about obligations and dreams and what happens when the two collide. It’s not the deepest of films, and nor is it the best written, but its truths are universal and it doesn’t shy away from asking the hard questions or showing its main characters’ flaws. Its honesty serves it well, too, as the film’s conclusion feels natural and acceptable. Two hours may seem like a eon (and there will be moments where you are checking the DVD player to see how much time you have left), but it fits the film nearly perfectly. By the last shot you have become involved with these people and you believe in the decisions they make, though you will have to admit that up until that point you weren’t sure which way they were going to go.
“Drawing With Chalk” doesn’t try too hard to get its point across, and that also works in its favor. It may not be the most flashy film around, or even the most competently done, but it feels right, which is high praise these days. Just be willing to invest the time into it, and you will get the appropriate returns.
