Many view student films with more than a little trepidation. They have the reputation of being ill conceived with sub par scripts and even worse acting. Below the Beltway, however, circumnavigates several of these pitfalls.
The film was a joint effort between Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Virginia. The five-crew members are 3-2 for University of Virginia, with the cast coming from both schools and also other universities such as James Madison and John Hopkins.
Director Kevin G. Bender is a third-year College student at the University and the film's writer, Thomas Nash, is a third-year at VCU. The film's production designer, Paul Shoemaker, is also a third-year at VCU. Third-year College student Ryan McElveen holds the position of director of photography and worked alongside third-year College student Brooke Larson.
Despite its suggestive title, Below the Beltway is anything but a raunchy, raucous flick. Instead it chronicles something that many University students are familiar with: life in suburbia.
The film's premise is a look inside the phenomenon of "runaway hypocrisy in a Northern Virginia suburb." Whether the film completely chronicles this phenomenon is debatable. It does, however, offer several laughs at the expense of its spoiled, naïve and sometimes utterly ridiculous characters.
The film begins with a close-up of hippie Charles (Thomas Nash) throwing bottles of nails at drivers and zooms out to introduce his partner in more than just crime, Tobi (Jessica Begans). The two represent the offbeat side of youth culture: "camping in the woods" (really the cluster of trees behind Thom's house) and idolizing Thoreau while reading Jack Kerouac.
To counter these two progressives are two country-club-attending, collar-popping preps: Jackson (Ryan McElveen) and Christine (Samantha Clarkson). While Tobi and Charles spend their time finding themselves, Jackson and Christine wile away the hours at the country club and Jackson's favorite place, Manassas Battlefield Park.
Aligned on either side of these polar opposites, but not romantically affiliated, are Thom (Paul Shoemaker) and Vivienne (Maleika Cole). Thom is a multi-faceted artist who dabbles in sculpture, ketchup painting and hanging installations. Vivienne, on the other hand, is a diplomat's daughter obsessed with her dog.
Although not in chronological order, the film follows these six suburbanites from their beginning as friends to their divided end. Their paths split as their superficial friendship fades in the face of adversity: the struggle for the same wait staff position.
The film had some surprisingly funny moments along with a few that veered close to being insightful. These moments were offset, however, by the frequent panoramic shots of Northern Virginia. Accompanied by music from The Fall, these shots make the film seem more like an indie rock music video than a cohesive piece about suburbia.
Despite this flaw and some amateur acting, the film does a fairly good job of exploring the hypocrisy of suburbia through satire. Most of all, its memorable characters and a believable script make this student film one to take note of.
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