"Hope isn't a strategy!"note
What I Stand For is a 2019 Irish Short Film written and directed by Zac Goold.
We follow an Irish soldier called Aiden Daniels - who is the sole survivor of a particularly nasty battle. He meets up with three other survivors - Stephanie Byrne, Ed Kinney and Charlie McNamara. Also a Tag Along Kid called Jack. While waiting for a chance to escape, the survivors contemplate their navels and why they enlisted in the first place.
What I Stand For is something of a remake of a previous short with a different script but under the same title, and with some of the same crew members (Zac Goold directed both times, but only wrote the second script). The original's Troubled Production meant it was never finished and will likely never see the light of day. The completed remake however can be viewed here
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Tropes:
- Abandoned War Child: Jack is a civilian separated from his parents.
- Action Girl: Stephanie Byrne, who has achieved the rank of corporal, and kicks Aiden's ass in a fight.
- Artistic License – Military:
- Aiden and Charlie sport very noticeable facial hair. The Irish military is known for rarely allowing it when someone is in uniform.
- Aiden's hair is also a bit on the long side.
- The soldiers can be seen wearing non-camouflage pants in wider shots.
- Big Brother Instinct: From the flashbacks, we can see that Aiden was a very doting brother to Rory.
- Blonde, Brunette, Redhead: Ed Kinney (blond), Stephanie Byrne (brunette), Aiden Daniels (strawberry blonde substituting redhead).
- Braids of Action: Stephanie keeps hers in a French braid, as is military regulation.
- Cast Full of Pretty Boys: Ain't no one old and ugly in this short!
- Comfort the Dying: Aiden does so to Charlie, who clearly won't be alive that much longer.
- Comforting Comforter: Stephanie gives Jack her coat when he gets sick.
- CPR: Clean, Pretty, Reliable: Stephanie attempts to revive Charlie with this, and of course it doesn't work. It had little chance of doing anything without noticeable medical equipment, but you can forgive her for trying to save her childhood friend.
- Death of a Child: Rory who appears to be under eighteen at the oldest.
- Disappeared Dad: Aiden and Rory's isn't in the picture. It's just said that he "left", with it being unclear if it was before or after Rory's death.
- Distracted from Death: Stephanie doesn't notice Charlie's passing because she's helping Jack.
- Fallen-on-Hard-Times Job: As Aiden puts it, "it was this or homelessness". Subverted in that he loves being in the military.
- A Father to His Men: Aiden seems to become this, despite not being that much older (his actor Corey Patton is in fact three years younger than Stephanie's actress Laura Flynn).
- Fire-Forged Friends: Stephanie, Charlie and Ed were already this. They end up welcoming Aiden and by extension Jack into the circle.
- First-Name Basis: Stephanie calls Ed and Charlie by their first names since she's known them a long time.
- Friend or Foe?: Aiden and Stephanie get into a fist fight before they both realise they're on the same side.
- "Friends" Rent Control: Aiden says the family lived in a small apartment in the city. Flashbacks show their home being quite nice and spacious, with an upstairs. Of course he could mean that he and his mother moved to a smaller place after Rory's death.
- Great Offscreen War: The opening has Aiden escaping the remains of a battle, and everything else is Contemplate Our Navels until they think of a strategy.
- I Have Brothers: Stephanie had five, so she's known "nothing but fighting".
- Informed Poverty: Aiden refers to his mother living in an apartment where space was tight. Presumably this was after Rory died, as they're shown having a rather nice looking house.
- Knight, Knave, and Squire: Aiden is the idealistic Knight, Stephanie the pragmatic Knave and Ed the inexperienced Squire.
- The Lancer: As the other corporal (but who still defers to Aiden), Stephanie fills this role.
- Little Hero, Big War: The protagonists are survivors of a big war that are just trying to escape.
- Match Cut: Aiden looking off into the distance during his brother's wake is matched with his decisive look into the territory they've got to cover before the film ends.
- No Name Given: Mrs Daniels doesn't get a first name.
- Non-Action Guy: Jack is the only non-soldier in the group.
- Only in It for the Money: Ed Kinney joined because he thought the army would be an "easy wage".
- Replacement Goldfish: Jack fills this role for Rory, as someone who Aiden needs to help.
- Sacrificial Lamb: Charlie McNamara, who dies halfway through.
- Silly Rabbit, Cynicism Is for Losers!: Aiden responds to "hope isn't a strategy" with "it's the best we've got".
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Spiritual Successor: To High and Tight, which is also about misplaced Irish young people joining the army (the lead character is also a mid-twenties male partly motivated by a dead family member). Zac Goold and Bobby Calloway have joked that they take place in the same universe. - Thousand-Yard Stare: Aiden has one while at his brother's wake.
- Troubled Back Story Flashback: The film intercuts with flashbacks of Aiden's brother dying of an illness.
- Tsundere: Ed is introduced as very fiery and mouthy (if he were under eighteen he'd qualify for Mouthy Kid), but once things settle down he's shown to be much friendlier.
- Vomit Indiscretion Shot: Both Rory and Jack get their upchucking detailed in icky fashion.
- With a Friend and a Stranger: The protagonist is the stranger Aiden, who meets up with Stephanie and her two friends Charlie and Ed.
- Worth Living For: This is what the army is for Aiden.
- You Are in Command Now: Aiden assumes the role of leader once he runs into the others.
