Dear Josh Trank & Max Landis,
First and foremost I want to thank you for making the most relatable movie I’ve ever watched in my life. In my opinion, the movie was perfectly executed. Additionally, I would like to thank you for taking time to read this letter. I felt compelled to write to you immediately after seeing it. My hands are actually shaking as I’m typing. I have to say Chronicle brought back some deeply rooted memories of my own life.
“Andrew” is a brilliantly created character;he’s actually the most like myself. As I sat and watched the movie I couldn’t help but think that one of you had to have had a very similar life to my own. Just like Andrew,I grew up in a dilapidated home from which I wished I could escape. My father was equally abusive, demeaning and didn’t understand me in the least. As a kid, I always wanted to pay him back for everything he put me through.That made me draw closer to my mother, who was very encouraging. But, just like Andrew, even she couldn’t protect me from my father’s wrath. I was always afraid of what would happen if she had suddenly died or disappeared.
Animation and Japanese anime has always been of great interest to me. In the film, I noticed Andrew had drawings and posters on his walls. My love for animation and art fueled my imagination allowing me to escape from my household when I needed to. I would imagine what it would be like if my brother, cousin, and I had superpowers. Because I am also an artist and aspiring writer, I often imagined Chronicle-like stories that channeled the anger that I always felt in the back of my head.My imagination shielded me from actual outbursts and the very real consequences that resulted. Yet time and again, even my imagination betrayed me as, in my dreams, I would meet a similar fate as Andrew. That scared me. I knew that I didn’t have superpowers and it wouldn’t be so easy to cause so much damage and hurt as many people, but I was afraid to hurt even one person so I knew that I needed to change and as a result I mended the outcome of my storyline. I wasn’t able to do this immediately so I left my story unfinished for a while until I was able to come up with a resolve for my own life.Your movie reminded me of how far I’ve come since my Andrew-like days.
I’m so glad that I was able to see your movie. It inspired me in a way that’s indescribable. I have always been afraid to show my emotions in my stories but you’ve given me the courage to do so. I would love to be able to meet you because I have always wanted to meet a kindred spirit and it brings me further hope and solace to know that you’ve achieved success in your career. Thank you for your time and I hope that someday we’ll be able to meet. I remain,
Sincerely
Rodney Kennedy II
