THE RIDE: A Christmas Eve Parable (2012)

Not Rated. Running time: 33 min. Our content ratings (1-10):

Violence 0; Language 1; Sex/Nudity 0.

Our star rating (1-5): 4.5

But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.

Psalm 86:15

There’s a wideness in God’s mercy…

Frederick W. Faber

In this short film Director Dallas Jenkins revisits the theme he dealt with so well in his 2006 feature film Midnight Clear. Like that film, The Ride takes place on a Christmas Eve, most of the action taking place in a taxi, a donut shop, and on a bridge. A man known only as The Driver (Kirk B.R. Woller, who also starred in Midnight Clear) drops off his fare and hopes to go on home to join his family. However, his dispatcher informs there is one more pickup. The Driver complains he is already past his quitting time, but complies.

The Passenger (Brad Heller) turns out to be a scruffy looking man very reluctant to engage in conversation. His choice of destination disturbs The Driver. It is a well-known bridge. He keeps trying to start a conversation, even lying that the route ahead is clogged with traffic, so that he must take the long way around it—“at no extra charge.” Further delaying tactics include a stop for gasoline he doesn’t need, and then donuts and coffee. The Passenger refuses any of the latter.

At last they reach the bridge, and The Driver must decide what to do. Drive away and leave the man to do what he once had feared, but which now knows? (It is no longer conjecture because in the donut shop The Driver has been able to sneak a look at The Passenger’s cell phone on which he sees a couple of text messages, one a farewell to his father.)

A lot of tension builds up to the decision The Driver makes. And the climax is a wonderful variation on the theme of grace embodied in the song “Tie a Yellow Ribbon…” The neighbors must be thinking the owner of a garishly decorated house must have gone overboard, even plugging in table lambs to light up the darkness, but the two men in the taxi know the real reason. If there isn’t a lump in your throat or a touch of moisture in your eye in the final scene, then your name must be Scrooge or Grinch.

There’s still time to order it from Vision Video—and I just checked, and they offer it at the bargain price of $5.00! Click on the link, or call: Vision Video: 1-800-523-0226.