‘Aqueduct’ Review -(Short) A Drama About More Than A Racetrack, But The People In The Crowd

After a century, Aqueduct, the only remaining horse racetrack within the city limits of New York, closed its doors. The fabled Queens venue is now part of history, immortalized in a new short film by Travis Burgess (director of Hayseed), aptly titled Aqueduct. The film centers on a family reunion. It uses the location as a setting to explore the impact of legacy and to reconcile mistakes. Immaculately shot on 16mm, the film puts it right dab in the middle of a race with more connotations than a simple winning bet.

There is a ticking clock to the whole affair, leaving us to hedge our bets as events unfold. For Burgess, it fuses a personal connection he and his late father-in-law shared with the venue. He delivers a strong short that offers a sentimental grand tribute to a historic place, as well as a poignant story that leaves us wanting more. Still, it is more than earnest and is bridled with rich pathos.

We first meet Colin Sherry (Braeson Herold), a man in over his head. Venturing to the Aqueduct racetrack, he has a reunion of sorts with Ronin (Kyle McClellan), who happens to be his half-brother. They first learn of each other at their father’s funeral. Soon after, the brothers set out for the racetrack in honor of the old man. In part to disperse his ashes onto the grounds of a place that meant so much, but also for the two brothers to share a warm but fleeting connection.

Aqueduct is a personal film for Director Burgess, who dedicates the short to the memory of his late father-in-law, Mark. While unaware at the time of filming, the venue had few races left. The park is now closed, and thus the film has a bit of extra melancholy. This works well with the story’s themes of legacy.

The late father in the film’s story is a ghost who hangs over the lives of the two very different sons. Colin finds himself in hoc, which provides the major source of tension in the film. For much of the piece, the brothers reminisce about the man they called Dad and the storied, colorful life he led. There is an internal reckoning for Colin, who sees this opportunity to make amends. There is a sense of deep friendship and brotherly bond from the start, even though both Colin and Ronin find themselves on two entirely different trains headed in opposite directions.

As noted, Aqueduct is a short story that arrives at its point in a timely fashion. Racing proves to be a unique framing device, showcasing a deeper resonance with family over a winning racehorse. The racetrack is a meeting ground. It serves as a doorway into the past, but more importantly, a bridge to the future. The personal connection Burgess brings to the story is palpable. I recall my own ‘Aqueduct’. While not a racetrack, it was a hole-in-the-wall breakfast diner I used to frequent with my grandfather at least once a month.

Aqueduct stirs feelings of history and prompts the audience to take inventory of what matters. Life is like a clip around the racetrack. Fast and exciting, but over before you know it. We sometimes don’t realize we’re in a race until all the dust has settled.

Even now that the venue is gone, the film captures a storied history. We are experiencing the sights and sounds, even as a family drama unfolds as the backdrop. For it is at that very point, the people there- in the film’s case, it is the two brothers who hail from different tracks of life, but are both heading in the same direction. The Aqueduct is a meeting ground, an intersection of all walks of life. The venue becomes more than a mere establishment where races occur, but a place that captures the lives of those there.

While there is inherent satisfaction in the final frame, I did have a lingering desire to know more. Burgess crafts two rich characters, aided in part by the strong performances of his lead actors. Though Aqueduct appears to be a single-shot story, one cannot help but feel it would be even richer if expanded into a longer one. We learn through the exposition of Colin and Ronin’s first off-screen reunion at their father’s funeral, and, of course, there is Colin’s past to chew on.

It is a testament to Burgess who can tell a genuine human-interest story. He provides a window into unique dynamics, with characters grounded in humanity and relatable pathos. His film Hayseed from a few years ago proved to be a deft yet wily whodunit. Here, with Aqueduct, he weaves in themes of legacy and purpose amid history, both in a grand and an intimate sense.

Aqueduct is an upcoming short film directed by Travis Burgess. It was made in partnership with production companies CAVE 76 and American Bravado. The film is coming to Apple TV later this year, as well as Cindee.io