SDAFF 2023: Egghead & Twinkie
San Diego Asian Film FestivalThere is no denying that the world of filmmaking and film advertising is changing. While some of the results of this can feel troublesome and frustrating, there is also room for hopefulness and opportunity. For example, diverse voices such as Sarah Kambe Holland have been able to find massive success through social media presences as she did with her debut feature, Egghead & Twinkie. Funded by a successful campaign on TikTok, Egghead & Twinkie expands Holland's short film of the same name and tells the story of Twinkie (Sabrina Jie-A-Fa) and Egghead (Louis Tomeo), two teens who set off on a road trip to Texas to meet a girl Twinkie has been talking to online shortly after Twinkie came out to Egghead. What follows is a comedic yet heartfelt road trip adventure that looks at the struggles of the coming out process.
In its best moments, Egghead & Twinkie is an entertaining and emotionally authentic queer expression that shows the need for support and connection. Twinkie finds herself at the center of endless pressure. From her conservative parents to her best friend Egghead mistaking their friendship for one with romantic potential, she has reached a breaking point and is quick to risk everything to try and find a path forward. These stresses and forces on the queer experience feel real and important to discuss. In her journey, there is also a worthy conversation surrounding the complexity of social media and the struggle to find one's place within a community even once a label has been found and accepted. It is crucial for these stories and experiences to be shared and understood. For queer youth, seeing their unique struggles through art like this can be incredibly liberating and meaningful while having texts like this can also increase the understanding and empathy of those who might not have the same life experience. These emotions are handled wonderfully by Sabrina Jie-A-Fa who delivers a raw and mature performance that carries both the weight of the subject and the entertainment of the film's style.
The quick pace and comedic tone are held together by the editing from Holland and Kristi League. The film is dynamic and engaging in delivery as the film embraces personality at every turn. It is great to see a debut feature carry this much of a visual and comedic identity that isn't against taking major swings with confidence and effectiveness. The potential for Holland as a filmmaker is clear and Egghead & Twinkie serves as a great introduction to her voice and artistic hand.
With this said, while the deeper backbone of the film is emotionally worthy and the editing is engaging, it is hard to say that Egghead & Twinkie is a truly great feature. While the film feels dynamic, it is clear that the film is a narrative mess. From an absolutely awful framing device that is equally unneeded as it is underwhelming to the film's predictable and largely uninspired plot structure, there is clear room for improvement. The actual character work within the friendship between Egghead and Twinkie can also feel somewhat frustrating with the conflict between them feeling forced at times. It is clear that this is a film meant for younger teen audiences, and the writing is undeniably more catered to that demographic.
With a limited budget and resources, the production quality of the film also feels quite underwhelming at points. From the sound design to the lighting, the film struggles as it can feel overproduced and artificial, undercutting the more raw emotional core that the film hopes to present. Various performances throughout the feature also struggle to fully find their place with rather inexperienced actors being asked to balance both comedy and drama with mixed results being found.
While the story behind Egghead & Twinkie is wonderful, the actual film itself is a more mixed result. While the emotional core and diverse perspectives within the film are absolute causes for celebration, the story can struggle to come together and the production suffers greatly from limitations in resources and experience. While the film is an undeniably promising starting point for those involved, and the feature is sure to be meaningful for younger audiences, the final result remains overall underwhelming
