Marcia Rowe, Gleaner Writer

Mickesha, lead actress in the production Hush, talks to God outside her home. - Contributed

There were screams of delight and horror as students empathised and sympathised with each triumph and trial of the characters. Such was the response generated by the movie Hush from the approximately 240 eighth-graders.

Written by Marcia Weekes and produced by Praise Academy Barbados, the movie debuted on Friday in Jamaica. The venue was the audio visual centre at the St Andrew High School for Girls in Kingston.

Hush was filmed in Barbados and its cast is comprised of Barbadian actors. Thus, the spoken language of the film is Barbadian Standard English and dialect, but it is easily understood by a non-Barbadian audience.

The storyline of the movie is not new, nor is the plot complex: Mickesha (Sophia Thomas), a final-year high school Christian student, surrenders to temptations and ends up getting pregnant, three months before sitting an important external examination. Confused and stressed after her mother and boyfriend turned their backs on her, she attempts to abort the child. After reconciliation, Mickesha and her mother decide to raise the child together.

Powerful ending

The other characters are Troy (Andrew Thornhill), Mickesha's boyfriend; Darlene (Claudette Wadman), Mickesha's mother; Tanya (Nicola McDonald), Mickesha's best friend and confidante; and Angie (Sharon Griffith), Tanya's mother.

On the other hand, the movie has an honest and powerful ending; there is no good girl taking revenge on bad boy. Instead Hush challenges its audience to understand that there are consequences for actions and as such they must act wisely.

Hush also focuses on parenting from two different perspectives. While both mothers featured are single parents, Darlene, the mother of Mickesha, raised her daughter "in the church". Angie, Tanya's mother, raised her daughter in a liberal environment. Tanya does what ever she pleases without answering to her mother. This show of dual parenting styles, offers the opportunity for reflection on the role parents play in their children lives.

Social issues

Hush, is also a subtle exploration of topical social issues such as pro-choice versus pro-life, and offers an opportunity for Jamaican students and parents, Christians and non-Christians, to understand that these issues are not just Jamaican concerns, but a collective Caribbean problem.

While Hush in its present form (cinematographically) may be able to satisfy its perceived target groups - secondary schools and churches - if the producers intend to take it mainstream, the weak areas must be addressed.

Too many wide shots

There are too many wide shots for sustained period of time throughout the movie. This is especially evident in the scene where Mickesha shares her problem with Tanya and Angie, whereby the shooting of the scene appeared to be shot by a single camera and as such it came across as a scene from a play on stage rather than a movie. And except for Thomas as Mickesha, the acting is generally weak.

But the message is powerful and clear, and for these reasons all secondary schools should open their schools for a viewing.