Families Dysfunctional Yet Relatable – Trust

Feb 25, 2024 by Two Sues On the Aisle

By Sue Weston and Susie Rosenbluth, Two Sues on the Aisle

Movies explore life through experiences that play out on the screen. Trust, soon to be released on digital platforms, takes a hard look at how the death of a parent can destroy a family.  Life-altering events often upend our established, expected, and almost comfortable patterns, and question family dynamics. Unlike the made-for-TV movies where families rally together, real situations are more complicated, with unexpected and yet relatable outcomes. Trust reflects life. Its resolution may feel far-fetched, but at the same time satisfying.

Dealing with Death

In Trust, three grown siblings deal with their mother’s suicide, mental illness, and an overly intrusive extended family who is Jewish but not religious. They are torn between grief and greed.

One sister Trini (Kate Spade), a drama queen who feeds on attention, and places her needs first, is a Born-Again-Christian. Their father Damien (Linden Ashby) is a philanderer and a gambler who positions himself to inherit the entirety of his wife’s sizable estate. Although they had filed for divorce, it was never finalized leaving his children with only a pittance. The family is dealing with more than their share of issues, which keep getting more complicated.

The brother, Josh (Heston Horwin), a business analyst, who works for his mother’s accounting firm, is a recovering alcoholic. Kate (Jennifer Levinson), the youngest, is a student who had moved to the East Coast to escape her family. She suffers from depression and struggles to find closure and move forward. And she does, leaving the past behind.

Trust is a drama that presents life’s imperfections. It reminds us that families are complicated and that things can and do go very wrong.

Josh and Kate attempt to set things right by giving their mother the respect she deserves in death. They meet with the Rabbi, make funeral preparations, and even plan on sitting shiva, but none of it goes according to plan.

The film ends in a screaming match, which prompts Kate to pack and drive back cross country.  Leaving her dysfunctional family behind is the only way to maintain her sanity.

Trust presents the harsh realities facing many families in a way that is both familiar and disturbing. TRUST is the debut feature film of director Almog Avidan Antonir. Written by and starring Levinson it will be available for streaming on Amazon Prime on February 27 and on digital platforms including Apple TV, Amazon, Vudu, Google Play, YouTube Movies, and ChaiFlicks.

Menemsha Films

Founded in 1998 by Neil Feldman, Menemsha Films was created “To preserve and share our Jewish stories collected from around the world.”

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Two Sues on the Aisle bases its ratings on how many challahs (1-5) it pays to buy (rather than make) to see the play, show, film, book, or exhibit being reviewed. 

Trust received  3 Challahs – Run time 97 minutes