Jennifer Esposito
Hannah Rose Ammon wrote and directed the 13:41 film “We Do Our Best,” her first directorial/writing effort after five roles as an actress. She enlisted veteran actress Jennifer Esposito to star in this moody mother/daughter study. Esposito portrays Liv and Madalynn Mathews, who graduated from Rutgers with a BFA in Acting two years ago, plays Henley. Mathews also graduated from the Professional Performing Arts School in New York City in 2021 with a degree in Musical Theater. The musical chops shine through in this moody piece, which opens with Henley strumming a guitar while awaiting her Mom’s return from the grocery store.
Esposito, who is the Mom in what is apparently an autobiographical story, is a 52-year-old actress with 72 credits, including portraying Nina Soloway (2015-2017) in television’s “The Affair.” She starred alongside Michael J. Fox as Stacey Palerno on “Spin City.” I base the autobiographical statement on the photo of writer/director Ammon, who appears after the end credits in a photo with and a dedication to her mother, Holli.
MUSIC
The original music was written by Ammon, Jo Wagner, and Galen Beck Gatzka. It instantly transports you to a smoky bar in New York City. That’s where most of the action takes place from the 7th minute on. Young Henley (Madalynn Mathews), who is due to graduate from NYU in the spring, is out at a New York City bar with her attractive mom Liv (Jennifer Esposito) flirting with the bartenders, Anthony (Dan Stern) and Cal (Taylor Rosen). Anthony is played by Dan Stern, but this is not the Daniel Stern of “Home Alone” and “Breaking Away,” two classic well-known Daniel Stern films of yesteryear.
Mom Liv and daughter Henley in “We Do Our Best” at HollyShorts Film Festival (Aug. 7-17th).
Mom is trying to impart motherly wisdom to her young daughter with age-old remarks that mothers make to their daughters, like “you’ll understand when you’re a Mom” and other such well-worn truisms. We sense that the daughter is not going to be “relinquishing agency” for her own life in order to follow Mom’s advice, no matter how wise Liv’s advice may be. (How wise IS that advice? One could mention that Mom has allowed her under-age daughter to gain access to an alcoholic beverage in a bar in New York City, while cautioning her, through her own personal Prom story, about trying to grow up too fast. I was just carded in Chicago at the Green Mill on my 80th birthday on July 23rd, but Henley has no problem getting served in the Big Apple.)
It is apparent from the first half (7 minutes) of this short that Henley (Madalyn Mathews) is the step-daughter caught in the middle of a marriage between Liv and the unseen hubby, a marriage (if it IS a marriage) that isn’t going particularly well. Mom Liv comes home with groceries. She asks her daughter (Henley) if “he” is still here, mouthing the words.
“He” seems to be a husband who is probably not Liv’s first. “He” may be unnecessary in their lives, if you ask Henley. Says Liv, regarding the unseen hubby, “I wanted some support and I thought maybe we could be a family.” Henley lets her mother know that they didn’t need a step-father to make the two of them anything less than “a family.”Henley maintains that they are “the core” nucleus of their family.
Jennifer Esposito of “We Do Our Best” at HollyShorts.
At this point, Mom and daughter split for a neighborhood bar (“I’ve heard about this place!”). Henley comments that “She needs this” in regards to her hassled mother. The filming took place in a real New York City bar. The bar itself becomes a character, lending its smoky, intimate vibe.
There they meet young bartender Cal (Taylor Rosen) and Anthony (Dan Stern). We hear a story from Liv about growing up too soon. She recounts how she missed her own senior prom because she took off with an older suitor and flew to Hong Kong, urged to do so by her father. Says Liv, “I cried about missing my Prom all the way home from Hong Kong.” Liv’s father is “blinded by the light,” apparently overly impressed with the much older successful businessman who spirited his teen-aged daughter off to Hong Kong. [Doesn’t sound like Father of the Year behavior, unless you’re Donald J. Trump or a Barrymore.]
The message comes through loud and clear that Liv doesn’t want her daughter Henley to repeat the mistakes Liv made when she was young. Mom nixes the romantic overtures aimed at Henley by Cal saying, “He’s older and you’re not.” However, Mom’s resolve to share sage advice is somewhat offset by the example she is setting. It’s more “do as I say, not as I do.”
CONCLUSION
Daughter Henley & Mom Liv in “We Do Our Best” at HollyShorts Film Festival. (Aug. 7-17).
You’ll have to see the short through to the end to see how this all works out. The mother/daughter badinage is real life (take it from me—the mother of an adult daughter). It is an enjoyable 13’41” short film depicting the passing on of maternal wisdom, much of it learned by Liv in what sounds like it may have been the school of hard knocks. The music, setting, cinematography, hair and make-up and costuming and performances are all terrific.
Everyone will want to find this bar and order one of Cal’s drinks that will “change your life forever.” I do worry that the bar might get shut down if it doesn’t enforce the drinking age laws of New York City more stringently. But, hey! Henley’s with her Mom, so that makes it okay—right? (Tell that to the liquor license people.)
Catch it at the HollyShorts festival between August 7 and August 17th. As we can say (of the drink and the short), “Try it. You’ll like it.”
