A Friend Of Dorothy (2025)

I loved this. There is a lot going on here, and it is packed into a short film. After losing his football in her yard, black teenager JJ finds a friend in Dorothy, an elderly white and middle-class widow who lives by herself and needs aid in opening a stubborn can of prunes. Their platonic bond is strengthened as Dorothy—who owns a wide library of plays and once funded the education of aspiring drama students along with her late husband—fosters JJ’s inner theatre kid by requesting him to read out a play to her whenever he visits. It is a no-brainer that Dorothy acts as a maternal figure and looking out for JJ’s best interests. Simultaneously, the movie serves as a love letter to the arts. Dorothy helps the young, budding actor out of his shell and gain confidence in his true passion—encouraging him to consider theatre as a serious career rather than merely pursuing it as a hobby. And this is the part I missed until I read a review of the movie--the colloquial term ‘A friend of Dorothy’ which initially was used as a code within the community during an era when homosexuality was deemed illegal, also takes on a renewed meaning here. Due to their friendship, open-minded Dorothy introduces her new friend to n historic play which challenges homophobic persecution and celebrates queerness or being ‘different’, further allowing JJ to be comfortable in his own skin. Then there is the way Dorothy's family treats her, which is as a doddering old woman to be placed in supervised living so they can worry about her even less than they do now--no wonder she fostered her friendship with JJ--not only did he open her prune can for her, the one thing she can't do that she needs to stay in her own home--but he also sees her as a teacher and a person worthy of his attention. This is nominated for the 2026 Academy Awards in the Short Live Action film category and is well worth your time.