Megatron is a 2008 short film (14 minutes) from Romania, directed by Marian Crisan.
It's a little boy's eighth birthday. He lives with his divorced mother out in the boonies. He and his mom ride bicycles out to a bus stop, where they hitch a ride with a truck driver. That takes them to a tram station, where they go into Bucharest. All of this is so they can eat at McDonald's and get the Happy Meal toy, a Megatron figurine. But while the boy really wants his Megatron, he wants something else: contact with his father, whom he apparently hasn't seen for some time.
Tropes:
- Bratty Half-Pint: The boy has a lot of anger, probably stemming from the divorce. He gives his mom a very hard time.Boy: You're a liar and a cow!
- Daddy Didn't Show: Mom finally caves and lets the boy call his father. The father says that he'll meet them at the restaurant. The film ends with the mom and the boy waiting at the McDonald's, wondering if the father will show up or not.
- Disappeared Dad: It seems the father has not made very much of an attempt to keep in contact with his son, not calling on his birthday this year or last. The mother may be partly to blame for this, as the boy says she won't let him call his father.
- Left Hanging: Will the father show up at the restaurant for his son's birthday? We'll never know, as the film ends with mother and son there waiting.
- Minimalist Cast: The mom, the son, the truck driver who gives them a lift, the cashier at the restaurant. We don't even hear the father's voice on the phone.
- Nameless Narrative: No names for any cast members.
- Slice of Life: A little boy wants a Megatron toy for his birthday, and he wants to talk to his dad.
- Title Drop: The boy very much wants the Megatron figurine that is a McDonald's promotional giveaway that week.
