In Time of Need

 

"In Time of Need" is a short film written and produced by Brian A. Brough and directed by filmmaker Alisa Anglesey. Brough is also known as the producer of Ryan Little's acclaimed World War II short "The Last Good War" (1999), as well as the assistant director on Richard Dutcher's feature film "Brigham City" (2001). Anglesey's other directorial credits include two award-winning Biblical shorts, "Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath" and "The Good Samaritan."

"In Time of Need" opens with a scene in which the "Joe" (played by Lincoln Hoppe) is laid off from his job as a construction worker by an apparently apologetic boss. Driving home, Joe encounters a vehicle on the side of the road. An old woman (played by Ruth Hale) has been stranded with a flat tire for an hour, unable to change the tire. Joe matter-of-factly changes the tire for her, and sends her on her way, refusing to accept any form of payment.

The old woman, who told Joe that her name is Margaret, stops at a diner where she is waited on by an extremely pregnant young waitress ("Lisa", played by Page Hoppe). Lisa is clearly pained by doing such strenuous work so far along in her pregnancy, yet she is unflappably kind and attentive. Margaret is so impressed by Lisa's service, she pays for her inexpensive meal with a $100 bill, and then sneaks away before Lisa can return the change. Lisa finds a note that Margaret left: "For the baby."

When Lisa returns home in the evening, her husband is waiting silently for her. What Margaret did not know is that Lisa's husband is Joe -- the very man who selflessly changed Margaret's tire.

The production values seen in "In Time of Need" are not as impressive as in Anglesey's other Biblical-era short films. But this is a well-made, poignant film.

"In Time of Need" star Ruth Hale is the famed matriarch of the Hale theatrical family that founded the Hale Center Theaters in California and Utah. Hale's other major roles include "Sarah's Child" (1994), numerous videos, television movies such as "Don't Look Under the Bed" (1999), "Before He Wakes" (1998) and "Whose Daughter Is She?" (1995), as well as countless stage performances at her family's theaters, often in productions she wrote herself.

The film was edited by Brough, as well as Wynn Hougaard, who had previously edited "Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath" for Anglesey, and was later the editor of impressive feature films including "Singles Ward" (2002) and "Out of Step" (2002).

"In Time of Need" is sold individually as a video, and is also part of the 3-film compilation video "Treasured Stories of the Golden Rule", from Candlelight Media. Along with "In Time of Need", this video also includes Anglesey's "Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath" (starring Carrie Morgan and Robert Nelson), and Ryan Little's award-winning "The Last Good War" (set in World War II, starring Lincoln Hoppe and Christian Bell).