Fishbowl is the story of three sisters Belle (Belle Shickle), Rachel (Emily Peachy), and Jessa (Caroline Coleman), and their father, Rick (Rick Kain), who lost his wife years before in an unfortunate accident. Rick plummeted into despair, and his faith wavered between belief and disbelief. With dad out of commission, the sisters turn to one another for comfort and guidance while alienating themselves from the rest of the world.
As the girls attend the town’s Christian high school, they become the subject of gossip and bullying. Rick experiences the same conflicts in everyday life, as well. The best way to describe the family is that everyone knows something is seriously wrong, but no one is willing to talk about it. Life in the “fishbowl” that is their town, there’s nowhere they can run to escape.
When a television preacher convinces Rick that Jesus’ return and the rapture will happen in several days, the story heads into dark territory. Rick will need to raise and donate a thousand dollars to the preacher to ensure they are caught up as the angelic trumpets blow. Rick resolves not only to raise the money needed for the preacher but also to ensure his daughters’ behavior falls in line and that they start living righteous lives.
Film Review for Fishbowl
Fishbowl is a very dark and depressing story. Life for the sisters gets worse before it gets better… if it even gets better. As much as it is an indictment on organized religious and extreme faith, the narrative is primarily about Belle, Rachel, and Jessa, who have nowhere to turn but to one another. As crazy as their father is, he still loves his daughters and tries to protect them in his seriously warped way.
All four leads give amazing performances. The spotlight is on Rick Kain, who gives a frighteningly authentic portrayal as a fundamentalist Christian and believe me, I’ve met my fair share. Belle Shickle is the oldest daughter and takes on the typical rebellious teen and protector of her sisters. It’s Belle that Rick has the most trouble controlling, and it’s this dynamic that’s interesting to watch. Anytime Belle thinks about standing up for herself, she’s put down, and this conflict with her father plays out like a low-key game of chess.
The other star of the film is its cinematographer Levi Magyar. Every shot is interesting, particularly when the family attends church for the first time in a long time. There’s a certain swagger of the family that the camera captures. It’s then juxtaposed with the subtle (and not-so-subtle) looks of the judgmental congregants. There’s not much dialogue in the movie, and most of it is religious in nature. Most of the acting is done in facial expressions, and it works brilliantly, showing words and visuals in perfect balance.
Fishbowl is worth recommending as a dark story of extreme religious faith and beautifully told. I’m not always a fan of anti-religious films. Mainly, no one wants your family’s dirty laundry exposed. But the story of this family is compelling and will have you thinking long after it’s over.
Fishbowl (2020)
Directed by: Alexa Kinigopoulos, Stephen Kinigopoulos
Starring: Khali Addair, Ken Arnold, Mackenzie Astin, Tony Barber, Larissa Blair, Connie Bowman, Maria Broom, Bobby J. Brown, Victoria Chang, Felicity Clark, David Cohen, Caroline Coleman
Screenplay by: Piero S. Iberti, Stephen Kinigopoulos, Maria Stratakis
Production Design by: Shannon de Vergnette
Cinematography by: Levi Magyar
Film Editing by: Stephen Kinigopoulos, Levi Magyar
Art Direction by: LaTonya Joyce
Makeup Department: Danielle Gerkens, Janice Kinigopoulos
MPAA Rating:
Distributed by: Gravitas Ventures
Release Date: October 27, 2020
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