Happy Birthday Ron - Doyle Haverfield

This poignant and intriguing film depicts relationships kept alive by a ritualistic birthday “party” provided by two individuals whose lives have been entwined and perhaps even dominated by Ron. Christie Courville’s performance grants passage into her character’s complex relationship with Ron through her emotional performance and reflective dialogue with Doyle Haverfield’s character. Doyle’s complementary and nuanced performance is a foil to Christie’s emotional exposure and allows Christie’s character to remain central to the audience. Doyle maximizes his screen time to effect - his unstated relationship with Christie is naturally conveyed in understated fashion as his relationship with Ron. The film’s true star, however, is its dialogue. The script deftly addresses life and death without emotionally pummeling the audience – WELL DONE! Life is often messy and presents unanswered questions; “Happy Birthday Ron” presents life as such, and its characters represent you and me.

“Missing Mabel”, a classic of the silent era, is paired with “Happy Birthday Ron.” It stars Mabel Normand (the queen of the silent era) and Charlie Chaplin. It’s a throwback to a different era and is one of Charlie Chaplin’s earliest movies.