Plot Summary
Almost overnight, the Blackmon family finds themselves unemployed, homeless, and running out of funds. As they try to make their way on the streets, they discover that the world is hostile towards the homeless and that they will need to figure out how to fend for themselves. As the going gets tough, will they reach out for help where they know they can find it or will they continue to hide in plain sight?
Production Quality (.5 point)
Possibly in an attempt to be overly realistic, this film looks like it was literally filmed on the sides of busy roads with cars constantly driving by either in front of the camera or behind the set. There are also many other artistic angles, such as filming through fences and from behind other barriers and objects. But randomly, the video quality and lighting of the scenes are professional, which seem out of place in this production. Most, if not all, of the audio is either severely muffled or obviously overdubbed in post-production. The soundtrack is also very loud, probably to cover up outside sounds. Furthermore, editing is atrocious as scenes jump all over the place and transitions are very choppy and disorienting. In the end, this production is unfortunately a train wreck.
Plot and Storyline Quality (0 points)
While the writers appear to mean well, this storyline is next to impossible to follow. There are some interesting points in here somewhere, but they are hard to decipher amidst this story’s general lack of focus. It’s mostly just a collection of random scenes about people wandering around and sitting around outside, with some montages thrown here and there. There is no plot continuity whatsoever and no depth to these characters. Whatever dialogue is even discernable does nothing to help the plot or the characters. There are too many off-the-wall elements and goofs to take this movie seriously. Unfortunately, this was a swing and a miss.
Acting Quality (.5 point)
Though there are some cast members that appear to mean well and it is likely that this cast had no coaching or assistance, this is still a mess. There are too many mumbled lines that are completely indecipherable. Emotions are also forced and extreme, with either too much yelling or too little expression. It really seems like in many ways that this film was thrown together on the fly.
Conclusion
Though there were some well-meaning intentions here and there is certainly potential to be found in Hiding in Plain Sight, as it is, this is nothing but a disaster. The team clearly tried to patch up some of the glaring problems in post-production, but the problems were too great. This film needed to be totally scrapped and started over. Yet it is highly possible that this was not financially feasible. Thus, this further shows the importance of doing things right the first time and making sure you don’t take on more than you can handle. Sometimes it’s better to start out small before moving to bigger things.
Final Rating: 1 out of 10 points
Box Office Revolution 