SXSW short film review and filmmaker interview: The Temerity of Zim

by John P. Meyer

Like you may have heard, it's not the size that counts. Nor the length.

The Temerity of Zim is an example of the fun sorts of things you'd miss at a film festival if you limited yourself strictly to narrative features.

It's a 9-minute short film, but it's made with the slick production values of a longer one. The actors are a mix of seasoned pros and emerging talent. As filmmaker Joshua Kopple puts it, the film is his calling card for use in attracting producers and financial backers for longer, more expensive productions.

The story is straightforward: our protagonist, Zim (Robert Belushi - John's nephew) is caught with his pants down (off, actually) on the staircase of the estate he's been house-sitting for his girlfriend's family. As they (his girlfriend, her dad and her mom) walk in the front door, Zim and an attractive lass (Lara Everly) are cavorting in bathrobe and boxers in full view of the arrivals.

Conveniently, there's a hunting rifle (looking out of place in these posh digs, if you want to know the truth) hanging within easy reach, and Dad (played by Richard Riehle) proceeds to snatch it up in a fit of rage.

Interview with Joshua Kopple, filmmaker of The Temerity of Zim

The film does the flashback thing at this juncture, whisking us away on a whirlwind tour of Zim's past history as a free spirited kid who basically does whatever he feels like doing without concern for the consequences. To this point, at least, there have been no fatal ones.

The voice-over accompanying this sequence is done by a fellow named Dave Foley, who's worked a slew of both vocal and live acting jobs. His approach to this narration is sly and sarcastic, which helps establish and maintain the tone of the piece.

Joshua met me in the press lounge at the Austin Convention Center for a brief discussion about his brief (but well done) film.