Curtis
**Seen at the 2020 Atlanta Film Festival.
I think the first time I really encountered the homeless or those less fortunate than myself was in my freshman year of college at Georgia State. I was living at the dorms, and mostly, took MARTA to get down to the campus, which was in the heart of downtown Atlanta. Like most people, I would, naturally, tighten up when I would get close to some people. There were times when, yes, I would give them money, but by and large, while I would see them about, I would not really interact with them. That’s still true, to an extent, but I don’t tighten up in anxiety like I once did.
“Curtis” is a film about one of those people. Not exactly, of course, but writer-director Chris Bailey is wanting to give us a story that shows us the emotional truth such people live with, and often, die with. It’s one of the most beautiful portraits of humanity I’ve seen in 2020, and it made me think back to my school days, thinking whether I might have been able to be better in how I reacted to those people, many of whom, I would imagine, are no longer around. “Curtis” is a film that asks us to confront our own prejudices, but does so in a way that is not insistent on it, making it all the more powerful when we see how it challenges us.
One of the first things we see is Curtis (Dwight Henry) on his back. He is awaking, and a teenager (Alex Henderson) is offering him help getting up. Apparently, Curtis was hit by someone for getting in front of their car. Curtis is missing something, though- his city championship ring. It’s his one lasting memory of his life, one he brings up to anyone who will communicate with him. The teenager tries to communicate with Curtis, but he often becomes disoriented. Curtis suffers from Schizophrenia. He isn’t homeless, although he looks like it- his mother is still around to take care of him, but even she’s having a hard time doing so anymore.
Bailey’s film is following Curtis and the teenager, whose name is Dre, as they strike up a mutual bond- Dre will help him find his ring, and Curtis will try and help him with his basketball talents. How that works out is part of why the film is so powerful to watch. This isn’t a story of a wacky buddy pairing but an honest and perceptive film about a connection between two people, even a brief one, that seems to benefit each person in a way neither expect. One of the interesting parts of this story is that, it would be very easy for Dre to exploit Curtis, or abandon him at any moment. But he doesn’t. Even if he doesn’t necessarily understand what is going on with Curtis, he doesn’t let himself off the hook from trying to help him. That speaks a lot to the type of person Dre is, and it’s a big part of why this movie works.
My heart breaks for Curtis. We don’t know why he ended up the way he did, and we don’t need to. We just see what it’s done to his mother, who’s trying to keep him out of being hospitalized, and see his life, which involves day drinking beer, going to the local basketball court, and talking about his moment of glory, all those years ago. When the latter is occurring, there’s a glimmer of light that comes to him that shines so brightly we can’t help but be inspired. Most of his life, however, is sadness, and a situation passed the point of reversal. Even his mother knows that is the case. Sometimes, you just have to accept that you are not able to help some people. That’s not an easy realization to come to, and this should not be seen as a matter of Dre being able to help Curtis more than his mother- in the end, anything they are able to do at this point is temporary aid; he needs more help than either of them can truly give him.
The last stretch of the movie hits hard. Five years have passed. His mother is not seen again; my guess is that she has died, and- as a result- Curtis was unable to stay at the facility he was at. So, he just walks around that area we’ve spent the film in. Dre is older now, and he sees Curtis, and tries to talk to him. Curtis doesn’t know him, though, but Dre still shows him kindness. We could use more of that in this world, especially when there’s not much in it for ourselves.
