Good Boy Q&A With Tom Stuart and Ben Whishaw
The new short film Good Boy, written and directed by actor turned Writer and Director Tom Stuart, (Out of Her Mind, People Just Do Nothing, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) was screened to the press on Tuesday, the 3rd of October. It stars BAFTA-winner Ben Whishaw as Danny, a man who attempts to rob a bank with the help of his anarchic mother Jackie, played by SAG-winner Marion Bailey. But his plans are foiled when confronted by his family doctor outside the bank. What follows is a poignant and original portrayal of grief and desperation.
Tom Stuart at the Screening of the Good Boy in London
At a follow up Q&A session, Stuart and Whishaw discussed what drew them to the film. For Stuart, it was a very personal story dealing with the loss of his own mother to cancer during the pandemic. As he put it, “I poured a lot of myself into this script as I was figuring out how to deal with grief.” He credits Whishaw for encouraging him to direct something of his own during their long walks together. Whishaw was drawn to the brilliantly written, funny, and original script and Stewart’s infectious enjoyment of the process.
Filmed on location at Worthy Farm, the home of Glastonbury Festival, Stewart said directing Whishaw and Bailey was “easy.” As he explained, “Ben is such a fine-tuned instrument that he took on directions and ran with them. As this story is so close to my heart, I explained to Ben and Marion the genesis of each phrase and what it meant and the emotions’ line for me. It was a very emotional thing to do. It felt very vulnerable but in a good way. The point I will never forget was the emotional breakdown moment. And I still don’t know how Ben does it. I was so close to Ben and I remember thinking this is the closest I’ve ever been to such extraordinary acting. And he could do it again and again and again. And it wasn’t fake. He was accessing something deep. It was just a real privilege. I’ve never been close to something so great.”
When asked about the importance of short films, Whishaw said, “They are like a training ground, an opportunity for people to begin telling their stories. Also I think they are really hard to do well. In some ways even harder than feature films because you have to be so concise. Short films are like beautiful little puzzles. They test people and people get to learn. For an actor it’s also great because they tend to be very personal. Also, what’s great about short films is that they have ‘no value’ – you are not going to get any money.”
In reflecting on directing his first film, Stuart emphasised, “It’s being very clear about what you want because it’s such pressure to get the story told in such short format.” Ultimately, Good Boy succeeds in providing a moving and human portrayal of grief, thanks to Stuart’s personal vision and Whishaw’s outstanding performance at the iconic Worthy Farm.
The film is under consideration for an OSCAR and a BAFTA.
Editor in Chief of Ikon London Magazine, journalist, film producer and founder of The DAFTA Film Awards (The DAFTAs).
