Once you have a kid, everything in your life changes. Even if you go to jail.
Once You Got a Kid is a feature film about a convict returning to society who decides to make a stop to see how his estranged daughter is doing. Afraid to interact, he chances a visit from afar. The boyfriend bums a light and accidentally rekindles deep family connections lost to years of emotional confusion and uncertainty.
(Red Epic, Cooke S4i 7 min 22 sec)
GIRL (voice over, reading) “Daddy, I know you probably won’t ever read this but I’ve never given up on you even though you probably don’t even care. Anyway, if you were here, I’d introduce you to Roy. I work with him at the bar. We’re going to get married but he doesn’t quite know it yet. If you’ve read these letters all these years you’d know all I’ve been through before and all the rehabs I was in and all the rest. All the loser boyfriends. Yeah. But Roy is really different. He understands me and he has this real ability to connect with people. It’s special.
I think we’re in a good place. You’d be happy for us. He smokes, and I know how much you hate cigarettes. Sorry about that, but he’s trying to quit. At least he doesn’t drink anymore. I wish y’all could have met. Things would be even better if you were around. I remember those days with you and mom and how she used to collect all those spoons like the one you wear on your finger. I liked that one best. I even told Roy about them. He said they were silly but I think he knows I still like them. I miss mom. And I miss you.”
Dad walks slowly from the bus station to see how his baby daughter is doing now. He never planned to get back into her life. It was a fluke. He just happened to run into the boyfriend, and then everything changed.
