Pea Pod is a hilarious short which is amazing in the fact that the film’s cast and crew was made up of 100% women with 80% being women of colour. The film’s narrative is smart, witty and completely unexpected. Pea Pod is richly layered with current political social commentary, without ever being forced or too preachy.
The film’s premise is simple, but very effective. Sometimes less is more. The film’s cast are very strong and each deliver a great comedic performance, all of them (Nyoka Boswell, Summer Wayans, Ashley Kennon, Efe, Giselle Marie) are as equally as good as each other.
The film is written & directed by Rosser Goodman, who got her start on Steven Spielberg’s television series, Earth2 for NBC, nearly two decades ago. Rosser took to production with ease and had found her calling. “It was my film bootcamp,” she describes“I was hooked. The sheer size, scope and process of professional filmmaking was and still is absolutely exhilarating for me.”
Promoted to Key Set P.A. for the run of the show, Rosser simultaneously set about making her own film, a 17 minute short, Top of the World. It and a subsequent 10 more of her films went on to screen at hundreds film festivals worldwide. Pea Pod is her latest short and was in the top 5 at the HBO Insider Comedy Film Challenge.
Pea Pod starts with a uber driver (Kennon) who is having to deal with a rather excitable passenger (Boswell) who pulls a toy gun on her, who demands that the driver gives her ”all that she’s got.” The driver replies back with a rather calm and collective tone, ”I don’t have anything.” The passenger laughs hysterically, and confesses she likes winding people up. As being someone who has dealt with annoying customers, who like to wind people up, you have to grin and bear it, and most importantly not let them know that they are getting under your skin.
Another passenger (Wayans) gets into the car as it’s a share ride option, despite her being too sweaty. The two women in the back seem to bond over dogs (the second passenger is wearing a vest with a white dog which she informs the rest of the car, is called ”Blackie”). It’s getting more and more crowded in the car, and then the first passenger has to do a number one…she ends up going in the driver’s empty cup, but surely no one is going to accidentally drink from that cup, right?!
Pea Pod is an amusing short film, with some extremely funny lines of dialogue. It’s often hard to find funny short films which don’t seem forced or too complicated, but Pea Pod is a refreshing change. It is a simple premise which works, because it has a punchline and it delivers a genuinely funny, laugh out moment which will have you in stitches.
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