Jason York’s The Stoop is a Boston love story about the person nobody writes love stories about — the man who is happiest when left alone…or is this just a defense mechanism? What happens the moment a stranger shows up on his stoop with no interest in going anywhere?
Amos Dibble (Brian Moore-Ward) has his life exactly where he wants it — and that’s basically nowhere complicated. He works a computer job he tolerates with co-workers who constantly bust his balls. But what he loves most is the time he spends on the front stoop of his Boston home with a cigarette in hand. Then one afternoon, he comes home to find a stranger sitting on his stoop. A woman he’s never seen before, just settled in as if all the stoops in the city were public property. Unable to handle the unexpected well, this is a full-blown crisis for Amos.
The woman’s name is Nina Antonia (Aysiha Mackey-Stephenson), and she is everything Amos is not — warm, carefree, and completely unbothered. She turns up again the next day, saying this stoop gets the best sunlight. He gives her a pass again, and the two strike up an unlikely friendship. Meanwhile, Amos’s world weighs in. His trans friend Karl “Daphne” Diamond (Kurt Lusas) shows up, zones in on the whole situation, and starts coaching him on getting some game. The two hit a bar together, where everyone, including the bartender, has an opinion about what Amos should do. Sadly, he finds himself no closer to figuring out what he actually wants. Then his younger sister Jo (Kaitlyn Kiley) blows back into town from Europe, and suddenly his quiet life has opinions coming at him from every direction.
“A woman he’s never seen before, just settled in as if all the stoops in the city were public property.”
Amos knows what’s happening. He’s falling for Nina! But his fear of rejection keeps him from taking advantage of the perfect move set up by Nina…smelling Amos’ halitosis. That’s the problem with Amos. He fears rejection in every area of his life — personally and professionally.
There are two types of people in the world when it comes to relationships. Those who go after everyone they find hot, no matter what the response, and those who choose not to go after anyone they find suitable, in fear of that feeling of rejection. Joe Lemieux and Jason York tell a very heartfelt tale about the latter, as a way of connecting with the millions who constantly live with the fear of letting love slip away and are totally fine with it.
I’ll just say I related a lot to Amos Dibble and Brian Moore-Ward’s pitch-perfect performance. Amos is a man at constant war with himself. Overthinking every moment with Nina. Wanting to be with her for an eternity against the risk of being without her for an even longer eternity. Not to spoil things, but Amos gets the girl at the end of the first half…only to lose her again (see the movie to see how this plays out). The entire film is essentially an essay on being single and finding love for a socially awkward man.
The criticisms of The Stoop are obvious. It was made with very little money and lacked any crane or Steadicam shots. This is about as DIY as it gets for a movie: cheap recording and editing equipment, but what the filmmakers had was a 16mm Bolex camera with actual film and the desire to make one. This is the stuff Film Threat was made for. Let’s just say that in the end, story and heart make up for a cornucopia of shortcomings.
For screening information, visit the The Stoop official website.
