Chance (2002 film)

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Chance
Directed by Amber Benson
Written by Amber Benson
Produced by Amber Benson
Danielle Benson
Diane Benson
Kelly Wheeler
Rupert Cole
Starring Amber Benson
James Marsters
Christine Estabrook
Andy Hallett
CinematographyPatrice Lucien Cochet
Edited byJoshua Charson
Music by Aaron Fruchtman
Distributed byBenson Entertainment Inc.
Release date
September 22, 2002 (2002-09-22) (Birmingham Sidewalk Film Festival)
Running time
75 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$75,000 (estimate)

Chance is a 2002 film, the directing debut of actress Amber Benson. Benson directed, wrote, produced and starred in this film. Many of Benson's co-stars from the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer appeared in the film. It was estimated to cost $25,000.

Contents

As documented on Chance's official site, the cost of making the film ended up being more than triple the estimate. Though Benson originally thought that she would foot the bill herself, she decided to ask fans for support. Signed photos of Benson on the set of the film, as well as scripts and props, were sold to raise money.

Benson's production company, Benson Entertainment, distributes the movie on DVD and video. [1]

Plot

Chance is a twenty-something slacker living in Los Angeles, who relies on a trust fund for finances and shares an apartment with her friend Simon, an unsuccessful telemarketer who is self-conscious about his body odor. One day, Simon comes home from the grocery store to find a dead woman in Chance's bed.

The film then goes back several months. Chance is annoyed when Rory, a struggling soap opera actor with whom Chance had a one-night stand, appears at her door and becomes emotional trying to convince her that they have a connection beyond just sex. Chance and Simon spin a story about meeting in a mental institution, which makes Rory uncomfortable enough to stop crying and to leave.

Simon tricks Chance into answering a phone call from her mother by telling her that it is a man named Jack whom she was immediately attracted to when she met him at a nightclub. Her mother, Desiree, is calling to tell her that she is coming to visit. Trying to escape spending time with her mother, Chance persuades Simon to switch roles with her for the weekend and Simon spends time with Desiree pretending to be Chance until Desiree tells Simon that she needs to talk to Chance about something in particular. Desiree tells Chance that she is leaving Chance's father Malcolm, who is in a relationship with another woman named Heidi.

Upset, Chance tells Simon about her parents' divorce and reveals that Desiree wants to stay with them for a while. Chance is suspicious when Simon tries to offer some comfort, and he begs again for $200 to pay off some unpaid parking tickets. Though hesitant to loan anyone money because of a bad experience with her first serious boyfriend, Chance agrees to give him the money for playing along with her charade for her mother.

Uncomfortable with the idea of her mother living with her, Chance arranges for Desiree and her to have dinner with Malcolm and Heidi. Chance also invites Rory and, as Chance had hoped, Heidi is immediately smitten with him because she watches the soap opera in which he stars. When Rory manages to get Heidi out of the room, Chance asks her parents about the divorce. Malcolm reveals that Desiree had suggested that they experiment sexually with Heidi, and Desiree felt rejected when Heidi preferred him. Desiree insists that he seduced her, but Malcolm denies it. Malcolm says that while attractions may come and go he loves her.

Chance goes out to a nightclub one night and meets a woman named Sara, who makes sexual advances on her. Chance brings Sara home with her, and after spending a day in bed together, Sara suggests that they take some drugs. Chance refuses and takes the drugs away. Chance leaves her apartment the next morning, and when she returns she finds Simon in her bedroom with Sara, who has apparently overdosed; Chance fears that Sara may have died from the drugs. Simon, overcome with emotion, kisses her and they have sex. Afterward, the two quickly begin to fight about the significance of the sex and Simon leaves the apartment.

The next morning Chance awakes to find Sara, alive, sitting at the kitchen table. She thanks Chance for a place to sleep off the drugs and then leaves. Meanwhile, Simon runs into Jack, who recognizes him from the nightclub. When Simon realizes that Jack is hitting on him, he tells him that Chance has a crush on him and thinks that he is straight. Simon then tells Jack about what had happened the night before and about his frustration and attraction to Chance. Jack tells Simon that, even though he is gay, he sometimes has sex with women because he needs the contact with human beings, and Simon realizes that he needs that human contact too.

Simon returns to Chance's apartment, and Chance is happy to see him, greeting him with a hug. They apologize for their actions and both admit that they are ready to try a relationship.

Cast

Themes

Stylistic techniques

Production details

Casting

Shakespeare

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References

  1. "Chance Review | the Digital Fix".