A young girl is dropped off at the airport by her father to travel as an unaccompanied minor. When the flight is delayed overnight, she ends up in the care of a flight attendant.
Written and directed by Ali Marsh, Pittsburg is a very specific slice of life that takes the viewer back to a decade long past for something that is still seen but has massively evolved (we hope). A young child stuck between mom and dad post-divorce/separation who has to fly back and forth between home and home, or between both parents, whether she wants to or not. The film, if taken at first level, is pretty simple, kid in transit from one parent to another ends up having to spend the night with a stranger. But then you add something extra, and it becomes clearer what the film is about. Without spoiling things here, this film is about connection and finding care and love. It shows that while some folks do not care, some care enough for two. The writing here is on point, giving the lead something to say without saying it directly, showing emotions, while assuming that the audience is intelligent enough to catch the more subtle bits of the script and story.
The cast here is limited to four people, and the story does not need more than this. The lead is Delaney Quinn as Mints, a precautious girl who has had no choice but to grow up just a little bit faster and learn to be more independent than most her age. Quinn shows that she can output the right emotions and do so with subtle nuances through the film while also handling some of the more mature sequences quite well. She connects with the audience and makes the film what it is. This is her film; her performance is solid, and she seems to know it. Good for her. Joining her as the flighty flight attendant is Nadia Quinn who does so well in the part; she might just annoy you early on. Playing Mints’ father is Michael Esper who gives the dad that feeling of “oh, right, that guy” which many other television and film fathers have, something Esper plays with and makes the most out of. He is not a character one will like, but that’s how it’s meant to be. Rounding out the cast is Annie Golden as Gogo, a grandma type that Mints comes across in her travel and the reminder that kindness is free and kids should be cared for. Golden steals a few scenes in this short film.
The film’s art design and set dressing is on point here; it brings up memories of the 1980s and looks to also fit in the late 1970s. The colors, the tones, the lighting, the wardrobe, the hair, all of it is just right, and it all works great together here. The cinematography by Jared Levy makes great use of it all, showing just the right angles, bringing the set and everything into the story. The images are well framed and shot to give the characters the space to evolve while also helping the feeling of the era come through.
Overall, Pittsburg is one of those shorts that transports you to a time and place that most may not have lived in. It also creates the right mood to understand how one girl may be feeling as she gets shipped back and forth between her parents. It well written, directed, acted, shot, art directed, etc. It’s a solid short film that gives the viewer just the right amount of time to connect with the lead and feel something.