Room 10 (2006) User Reviews

Strong directorial debut for Aniston/Buchanan

[johno-21 · 8/10 · 30 August 2007]

I recently saw this at the 2007 Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films where it received an enthusiastic response from the audience at my screening. This is the story of ER nurse Frannie (Robin Wright Penn) who, besides the stress of being an emergency room nurse, is going through a difficult time in her marriage and in trying to quit smoking is now hooked on nicotine gum and nicotine patches. In her shift at work she encounters a psych patient (Bonita Friedericy) who because of her frequent visits to the ER without any apparent medical problems is left unattended and forgotten. Frannie also encounters Howard Davis (Kris Kristofferson) who is in a bedside vigil for his wife of 45 years as she lies comatose. Jennifer Aniston and Andrea Buchanan make their directorial debut in co-directing this short. Buchanan also wrote the screenplay. This is produced by Glamour Magazine's Short Film Series and was inspired by a true story by magazine reader Colleen Goldrick. Veteran cinematographer James Glennon photographed this film just before his unexpected death from complications from prostate surgery. Trish Fuller edits. This is a good story and film and I would give it an 8.0 out of 10.

Exploration of Marriage From Two Different Aspects

[nitalaydar · 10/10 · 11 May 2023]

First we meet Frannie (Robin Penn Wright), sitting in her car chewing gum and slapping on a nicotine patch to try to stop smoking. Frannie's marriage isn't working. She and her unseen husband appear to maybe have fifteen years of marriage behind them (there don't seem to be kids), and they don't communicate well anymore. Her solution is to work long hours and extra shifts. You can see this one probably ending up in divorce court eventually, with a lot of wasted years to show for it. Then Frannie encounters Howard Davis (Kris Kristofferson), who is at the bedside of his dying wife of 45 years. Frannie is touched by his solicitousness and his sadness. Thinking of her own marriage, she tells him he is lucky. He looks at her and tells her "luck has nothing to do with it." He tells her of the ups and downs of a long term marriage, the times when each of them was ready to quit, yet didn't. For some reason they didn't. The somewhat cynical Frannie says "so there's no secret?" But there is a secret. The secret is endurance, in believing if you hang on, in some small fashion and in some way, to the feelings that got you together in the first place, it will come right. You must "stay in the room." Howard's grief at his wife's ultimate death may seem formulaic, but it has an impact on Frannie's view of her own marriage. What might it be like to have a relationship that could produce such open grief? Frannie decides to go home. Maybe she and her husband need to try to recapture something. Her husband seems ready to take that step, too. He has brought in the lunch she forgot, and left it in her locker with a note. When she walks out of the hospital, you don't know what will happen with them. We never do in real life. But she's smiling. And that's a hopeful sign.

Now I as a commenter must confess that as a partner in a marriage that has lasted (so far) for 59 years, this speaks truth to me. It isn't easy. We have fought, we have yelled, we have supported each other through crises, we have raised three children together who did manage to turn out well and to marry for the long haul themselves. We have had good times, and we have had hellacious times. Yet I still love him, and he still loves me, even after all these years and miles. (And by the way, the review that tosses off the phrase "the old woman" about the dying wife reveals with that one telling and derisive phrase a reviewer who could have used a few more miles into maturity before thinking they know much about both movies and marriage. Us "old 'uns" still have a fire in the furnace, even with the proverbial snow on the roof.) Now I'm not denying that some relationships cannot be saved. Some are genuinely toxic and abusive. Then you should run, not walk, to the nearest exit. One act of abuse is one too many. Get out. But for the run of the mill rubbing against another person's flaws (which you can probably match, flaw for flaw), hang in there. You can do it, and you'll be glad you did. Stay in the damn room.

Anniston and Buchanan have delivered a powerful message with a non-starry-eyed, realistic look at that most complex of human relationships -- marriage. And they chose well with their actors. Robin Wright Penn and Kris Kristofferson are both wonderful in this gem of a "short.".

Too generic and not worth seeing (with one exception)

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 16 March 2019]

"Room 10" is an American 20-minute live action short film from 2006, so this one will soon have its 15th anniversary and it was written and directed by Andrea Buchanan. For her it has been the only directorial effort o this date and I can see why. I found nothing about the technical side impressive here. Her co-director is successful actress Jennifer Aniston by the way and this fits in pretty nicely with her career, a seemingly touching story with emotional depth that stays very shallow though if you take a closer look. And the epitome of a truly empty character that is played by Golden Globe winner Robin Wright (Penn) here. She was literally just there throughout the entire movie and it sucks to see two females direct an actually talented female actress and that is the outcome. The better performance comes from Oscar nominee Kris Kristofferson, who was already around the age of 70 when this was released back in 2006. His monologue earlier in the film is really good and it could have been truly memorable with some better writing. His second scene involving the old woman's death is sadly as generic as the rest of the movie. In general, I must say it did not feel too realistic that this was happening all at the same time and Wright not even knowing him or her apparently before entering room 10. For drama's sake I suppose. But again not too close to reality. So I give this hospital-centered film a thumbs-down as a whole as Wright's character transformation was at the center of the film and from that perspective it was not a triumph. Kristofferson was just means to that core plot. Don't watch it unless you really love the actors from House of Cards or A Star is Born (and I am sure that one is superior to the far too long Gaga/Cooper mediocrity). Best choice may be to skip "Room 10".