Nathaniel Atcheson | Sombrero / 2008

why is there a sombrero on my head?

by Douglas Messerli

 

Nathaniel Atcheson (screenwriter and director) Sombrero / 2008 [12 minutes]

 

For most of the ultimately silly movie titled Sombrero 12 minutes we experience a true theater of the absurd, which thoroughly redeems Dodge College of Film and Media Arts student Nathaniel Atcheson’s freshman effort.

    In a Mexican restaurant somewhere in Santa Ana, California (actually I’ve been there!), James (Michael Osborne) sits waiting for his date, a man who could not be more impatient, tapping his fork against the side of his plate, pounding his feet against the floor. Let’s just, for the moment, call him obviously nervous. 

       We soon learn that, apparently, James suffers several symptoms on the spectrum of autism, needing to vomit almost from the first moment that his good-looking date, Raymond shows up and he gives him an unexpected hug. If nothing else, the totally uncomfortable James self-consciously attempts to explain and justify his every act. For example: the fact that he’s been waiting for nearly an hour, not because Raymond is that late, but because he’s given himself “plenty of time, and checked the weather, and the traffic reports which were extremely misleading but he arrived here safely” nonetheless.

 

     On the other hand, Raymond seems laid back and, particularly given the circumstances of finding himself with such a freak on their first date, is seemingly forgiving and makes every attempt to make his constantly-squirming new friend feel relaxed. He orders a drink and, despite the fact that the most exciting drink James can find on the menu is a glass of water, Raymond orders up for his new friend a “Hurricane,” “a piece of candy, you won’t feel a thing.” The next moment we hands James a rose, which highly confuses the

fussbudget James.

     James confesses that he has no other friends and that he has a difficult time dealing with other human beings, while Raymond suggests he wants to meets somebody, settle done, and get a dog, James interrupting to say that he has fish—actually Siamese fighting fish that he has to keep in two tanks so they won’t kill each other.

     While James is in the toilet, Raymond makes a call to another friend describing James as “a total geek, but he’s pretty cute,” making it difficult for us to believe in just how open-minded this man is. He also catches the attention of the waiter, telling him that the guy he’s with is celebrating his birthday, ordering up a cake and a song to be sung to him by the restaurant’s singing caballeros.

       After his return from the toilet—where James does not vomit but tosses water all over his face, hair, and shirt, while also noticing a poster advertising that every Saturday is “Gay Night”—Raymond’s nervous date, sips carefully on his multifruit cocktail, truly enjoying it, Raymond telling him to go easy since the drink has a way of “sneaking up” on one.

       Meanwhile, Raymond has noticed another couple sitting nearby, nodding his head in greeting. And before he knows it one of the other young men is standing at their table and almost immediately knocks over James’ hurricane. He hurries back to his own table.

       But despite the mishap, James is feeling much better, describing his drink as astonishing and wondering why he hadn’t discovered it earlier.

       But James also wants to ask Raymond a questing, begging him to please not take offense, and apologizing for asking a question that is so unlike him, suggesting that the Hurricane is perhaps affecting his “whole grasp of reality”: “Are you gay?”

       At that very moment, the waiter arrives with a cake, putting a sombrero on James’ head as the two guitarists begin to play their song and sing.

       “Why is there a sombrero on my head?”

       “I thought it was your birthday?”

       “It’s not my birthday.”

       “Are you sure.”

       “Yeah, I’m absolutely positive it’s not birthday. Who do you think I am?”

       “Terry, my blind date. We’ve been chatting on line for a few weeks.”

       “I’m not your blind date. My name is James.”

       “Then who do you think I am?”

       “Robert, my fraternal twin brother. We were separated at birth.”

       “My name is Raymond.”

       And at that very moment both turn their eyes to the nearby table where are seated, Robert (Anthony Sherritt), the boy who knocked over James’ “Hurricane,” and a thin, handsome young man like Raymond, Terry (Christian Zuber).

       The wonderful weirdness of this charming film has come to an end, as they toss appropriate names in the air, finally realizing the mix-up of those they came to the restaurant to meet.     

       In the film’s last scene the four are sitting all at one table, having finally come to their senses, as the Mariachi singers perform in joy of order to which this almost classical comedy has returned.

 

Los Angeles, April 14, 2024

Reprinted from My Queer Cinema blog (April 2024).