Description of Short Film
Opening title: Brothers' Ink Productions presents David Huddleston and James McFachin in REVEILLE.
Fade in.
The sun rises over the horizon, beyond a sign which reads "Sunrise Senior Living." We see the empty center area of the Sunrise Senior Living complex, which is a group of individual apartments around a central courtyard with a flagpole in the center. A newspaper hits the ground in front of one of the apartments. Inside the apartment's living room are numerous World War Two-era pictures of a young man in a Navy uniform.
In the bedroom, the NAVY MAN has just arisen from bed, still groggy with sleep. He is an elderly man who is wearing a bathrobe, pajamas and slippers and is holding a folded American flag. He walks out of his dark apartment into the bright morning sunlight, squinting from the brightness, still groggy. He walks to the flagpole in the center of the courtyard. With great care he attaches the flag to the flagpole rope and raises the flag to the top. He steps back a few steps, looks up at the flag and places his hand over his heart. For a few moments he solemnly stands there. Then he starts to go back into his apartment, but something catches his eye and he stops. Across the courtyard, there is furniture being moved into an apartment. In the living room window of the apartment, in front of the closed Venetian blinds, he sees two posters: a large one with the Revolutionary War eagle that says, "U. S. Army 1775," and a smaller one that is a World War Two recruiting poster. Uncle Sam points toward the viewer, and the caption says, "I want YOU for the U.S. Army." The Navy Man starts to walk away, stops to turn and look at the Army posters again, then walks into his apartment. In a few moments he places a sign in his own living room window, in front of his own closed Venetian blinds, that says, "GO NAVY."
It is the following morning: As before, the Navy Man exits his apartment with an American flag, attaches the flag to the flagpole, and raises the flag to the top. He again steps back, looks up at the flag and places his hand over his heart. Just as he's about to walk away, he sees the ARMY MAN emerge from the front door of his apartment across the courtyard - the one with the Army posters in the window. The Army Man is an elderly man wearing a bathrobe, pajamas and slippers. He walks bent over, supported by a metal walker. The Army Man slowly walks a few steps out of his apartment. Then he removes a mechanical reaching tool from his walker, using it to pick up his newspaper from the ground and place it in the basket on the front of his walker. As he starts to turn, he notices the "GO NAVY" sign in the window across the courtyard. Then he notices the Navy Man, who is standing there proudly. For a minute the two men stand and silently stare at each other across the courtyard. Without a word, they both turn and return to their apartments, slamming the doors.
Next morning: The Navy Man emerges with his American flag as before. This time he stops to bend over and pick up his newspaper. When he straightens up, he freezes in place and his jaw drops. In front of him is the Army Man, who is standing across the courtyard with a smug look on his face and his hand over his heart. Then he takes down his hand, revealing a medal pinned to his bathrobe. The Navy Man looks up and sees an American flag already flying from the flagpole. The Navy Man shrugs, turns around and returns to his apartment, slamming the door.
Next morning: The Army Man emerges from his apartment, medal pinned on his bathrobe, American flag in the basket of his walker. A few steps from his front door he finally looks up to see the Navy Man standing near the flagpole, with his hand over his heart. An American flag already flies from the flagpole. The Navy Man puts his hand down, turns and displays TWO medals pinned to his bathrobe, one of which is a Purple Heart. The Navy Man gives an exaggerated smile, turns and returns to his apartment. The Army Man disgustedly turns and returns to his apartment, slamming the door. We see the Navy Man peeking through the blinds to see the Army Man's reaction.
Next morning: The Navy Man emerges from his apartment, two medals pinned to his bathrobe, flag in hand. He has a grin on his face. The grin disappears when he looks across the courtyard. The Army Man is standing in front of his own apartment with a big smile. Now the Army Man has THREE medals pinned to his bathrobe, including a Purple Heart of his own. Of course, the flag is already up. The Navy Man stands there for a few moments, fuming, then turns and goes back into his apartment.
Next morning: The Navy Man emerges, flag in hand, unsmiling. No medals are visible on his bathrobe. He looks across the courtyard and sees the Army Man, who has been sitting in a lawn chair outside his apartment waiting. The Army Man stands and proudly displays the three medals on his robe. The Navy Man grins and opens one side of his bathrobe, revealing FIVE medals pinned to his pajamas. The Army Man's smile is replaced by a look of disgust as he turns around and returns to his apartment.
Next morning: The Navy Man emerges, flag in hand. He looks across the courtyard, stops, and shakes his head. The Army Man is standing there. He's still wearing his bathrobe with medals and pajamas, but he's wearing combat boots instead of slippers and he's wearing his Army hat. He is also smiling broadly.
Next morning: We again see the pictures in the Navy Man's apartment. Looking past them, we see the Navy Man standing in front of the mirror. He is in his full dress Navy uniform and is just straightening his hat. Satisfied, he turns and heads for the door. As he emerges, he stops for a moment and nods at the Army Man, who was waiting for him in front of his own apartment. The Army Man is in his full dress Army uniform. The Army Man walks a few steps, then abandons his walker and painfully walks on his own over to the flagpole, where he stops and stands at attention. The Navy Man regards him for a few moments, then nods and walks to the flagpole. The Navy Man raises his flag, then steps back. Both men look up at the flag. Instead of putting their hands over their hearts, they both do a sharp military salute. Together, they return their hands to their sides. After a moment, they both turn and return to their apartments.
Next morning: The Navy Man emerges, in full uniform, flag in hand. He walks a few steps, then stops and looks across the courtyard. The Army Man is nowhere in sight, and he doesn't come out. The Navy Man looks surprised and a bit flustered. He thinks for a moment, then looks across the courtyard again. Nobody is there. Glancing down, he sees his newspaper, so he picks it up and sits in the lawn chair in front of his apartment to wait. He glances through the newspaper, then stops and leans forward as he spots one item. He looks up at the Army Man's apartment, then back at the newspaper. In a few moments, he looks off into space, shaken. He sighs heavily and drops the newspaper. As the newspaper hits the ground, we see what the Navy Man was reading: It is an obituary, with a picture of the Army Man.
The Navy Man rises from his chair and walks to the flagpole. He attaches his American flag and raises it to the top. He holds the flag at the top for a moment, then lowers it to half-staff. He steps back, looks up at the flag, and does a crisp military salute. He returns his arm to his side, and slowly turns his head to look at the Army Man's apartment. Then he takes a step, turning toward the Army Man's front door, and does another crisp military salute. Once more, we see the flagpole with the American flag flying at half-staff.
Fade out.
Titles: We dedicate this film to all the veterans who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Closing credits.