Armageddon time movie

Synopsis

Armageddon time movie, a coming-of-age story about the strength of family and the generational pursuit of the American dream.

Plot

A Jewish-American Paul Graff becomes fast friends with a rebellious African-American named Johnny on his first day in 6th grade. Johnny was held back by a year and gets harsher treatment from their teacher when they both joke around in class.

Paul lives with his financially stable family of Jewish heritage. He is close with his maternal grandfather Aaron Rabinowitz, who encourages him to pursue his aspirations of becoming an artist. His well-meaning but strict parents, Esther and Irving, are less convinced by Paul’s career prospects to be an artist. At a family dinner, Aaron narrates to Paul, the story of how his mother escaped a racial persecution in Ukraine. Fleeing to London before eventually immigrating to the United States with Aaron and her British husband.

Paul and Johnny were caught smoking in the restrooms, both not knowing that it’s an illegal drug. Paul’s father got angry on hearing this and was forced to punish him. Hoping that Paul will change and lead a good life.

Paul was sent to his older brother, Ted’s school with the intent of having some discipline instilled in him. Meanwhile, Johnny stops going to public school following Paul’s expulsion.

Paul sees the new school’s advantages over his previous schooling but still doesn’t feel welcome at the school. Paul is also unnerved by racist comments from other students when his old time friend Johnny meets with him during playtime outdoors. Johnny also begins living in secret at Paul’s clubhouse, having nowhere to go other than living with his sick grandmother, where foster system workers searching for Johnny have begun to visit regularly.

While playing at the park on the weekend, Paul tells Aaron his grandfather of his struggles at the new school and how he does nothing when he witnesses racism from the other students. Aaron encourages Paul to stand up against prejudice when he sees it; reminding Paul that while antisemitism still covertly persists, he and his family still have the privilege of being white. Shortly after, Aaron dies of bone cancer, with the family mourning his loss.

Tired of living under high expectations from family and school, as well as the unfair treatment of Johnny, Paul convinces Johnny of his plan to steal a computer from school and sell it for money, so they can run away together.

Cast and crew

The film was written, directed, and produced by James Gray. The film stars Anne Hathaway, Jeremy Strong, Banks Repeta, Jaylin Webb, and Anthony Hopkins. Inspired by Gray’s childhood experiences, the story follows a young Jewish-American boy who befriends an African-American classmate and begins to struggle with expectations from his family and growing up in a world of privilege, inequality and prejudice. It was shot in New Jersey with cinematographer Darius Khondji.