Hav Plenty by Christopher Scott Cherot: a Review
That time, that place, where you realize that you have a good man, the thoughts, and daydreams of what could be begin…That is all said in the look Havilland Savage (Chenoa Maxwell) gives Lee Plenty (Christopher Scott Cherot) as they drive home after New Year’s. It is a look anyone who’s been in love will recognize. It is the realization of something changing, a closeness blooming inside and budding in your eyes as you look at your lover.
Hav Plenty has a way of articulating your heart in moments like that. It is a simple movie that shows the slow and flawed progression as two people try to make their way into a relationship. The insecurity, the pride, the doubt, the vulnerability; it’s all there. The fact that Christopher Scott Cherot wrote the screenplay based on his own relationship is the key to what makes this film so believable and so familiar. Equally impressive as writing this film is that he directed and starred in it as well. The film begins with one weekend which culminates in Lee finally revealing his true intentions to Havilland.
Havilland reminds you of the difficulty of making a decision when you have to choose between what’s right versus what’s convenient. Lee reminds you of the dignity you try and save by hiding your true feelings because the recipient either cannot or will not appreciate them. You remember the feeling of breaking down from the weight of your unspoken emotions; fighting for what you love with the truth of your heart. You remember the terror of leaving it completely open for harm. You recognize and watch the all-or-nothing gamble Lee plays to win Havilland’s heart.
Lee and Havilland are what we hope will happen when we take that bet.
**
A poetic rendition for those die-hard romantics:
That time you realize the wealth of your man
The thoughts and daydreams of what could begin
The turning point
The look, the realization, the change.
Hide yourself from the one who won’t get it
Cling to your dignity
Maintain composure at all costs
Till the geyser cracks the surface from the inside
Break down from the weight of what’s untapped
Fight for love with the truth of your heart
Leaving it unprotected
Damn the wall
Embrace the terror of your naked heart
The Gamble: all or nothing
Halfway won’t work
Havilland Plenty
What we hope will happen when the bet is taken.
Lee Savage
Blurring the truth of the gamble with the lie of Hollywood
***
Author: C. Nichole Jackson
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