Michael Curtis Johnson's Hunky Dory is a study of paternity, loneliness, responsibility, and sacrifice, documenting the life of Sidney, a single-father, whose dreams of making it big as a music performer have faded away into the hazy, blue skies of southern California. Hunky Dory is a film that takes its time establishing the world which its main protagonist inhabits, as the first 20 minutes or so of the film simply follow Sidney in what we can only assume is a typical day in the life. Bouncing from acquaintance to acquaintance, Sidney is a character who is very much adrift, often borrowing money from anyone willing to lend it to him, as he scrapes by financially by performing as a drag queen at a seedy, downtrodden bar in Hollywood. One day Sidney's life is thrown into further disarray when his ex-girlfriend unexpectedly drops their 11-year-old son off for the week, forcing Sidney to look after and take care of his son full-time, balancing his crumbling rock-and-roll lifestyle that he refuses to let go with that of his responsibility as a father to his young, 11-year-old son. Set in Los Angeles, the first thing that jumped out to me about Hunky Dory is the sense of solitude and loneliness which the film is able to create, not only related to Sidney, but the setting of the city itself. A city often romanticized as a place where dreams come true, Hunky Dory looks at the aftermath of such romanticism, finding not only Sidney, but many of his fellow acquaintances living a life of solitude and crumbling hopes and dreams. Through Sidney's interactions with a few of his old friends, a prostitute he befriends, and an old man who shows a strong interest towards him at the drag bar, Honky Dory creates an aura of solitude, loneliness, and emotional detachment, where nearly every character seems to be struggling and/or damaged in one way or another, whether it be due to lack of companionship, direction, or simply emotional trauma. Sidney is a character who is much more reluctant to accept his current situation, a character who needs to grow up and take responsibility for his son. Through much of Hunky Dory's running time, the audience is simply forced to observe Sidney's slow-forming tailspin, watching a man attempt to hold onto his ideal lifestyle as long as possible. He is a character who deep-down ashamed at how his life is unfolded, working as a drag queen to get by, and much of Hunky Dory's emotional arch involves this character becoming at peace with his life, taking responsibility for his actions, and most importantly embracing the sacrifice he must make in putting his young son first and foremost above his own dreams and desires. Featuring a strong central performance that is both rebellious and subtlety tragic, Michael Curtis Johnson's Hunky Dory is a story of paternity and what it means to be a good parental figure, detailing the sacrifice, responsibility, and selflessness which defines parenthood.
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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