Rag Doll

Multi-Award Winning Short Film

Based on a true story, RAG DOLL is an edgy, thought-provoking drama about a woman married to a gay man.

RAG DOLL was the first official project of Mission Ranch Films. It was completed in April, 2015, and went on to become an Official Selection at seven festivals, winning Audience Choice for Best Short Film, and the Best International Short Film Director Award at the Louisiana International Film Festival in May, 2015.

Because of the controversial nature of this film, Zena Dell Lowe published this DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT at all film festival screenings. She also gave a lecture, IN DEFENSE OF RAG DOLL, which can be viewed below.

Awards

Videos

RAG DOLL

In Defense Of RAG DOLL

Meet the Crew

Zach Johaneson

Producer

Logan Triplett

Cinematographer

Zena Dell Lowe

Writer, Director

Meet the Cast

Blayne Weaver

Zena Dell Lowe

John Hosking

Photo Gallery

Rag Doll Reviews

This short film is brilliant. From the first scenes where the woman tells her mother what great friends she and her husband are, to his lack of natural desire for her and her suffering from his utter disinterest, which they attempt to deal with through staging encounters that do not work: the sadness of an emotionally void, sexless and childless marriage. It’s so painful to watch her excuse and make apologies for all that is missing even as he goes for anonymous furtive sex in the bushes rather than enjoying what she tries so hard to give. She holds up garment after garment in the mirror, wondering why she is not desirable to him. Would this dress or that change anything? One wonders how long she will rationalize her situation before she sees it as it is and goes through the heartbreak of walking away from the marriage. One wonders how long she will convince herself before she finds the truth more liberating than the lie. Rag Doll is uncomfortably relatable.

C.H.

Rag Doll is brilliant because in her struggle not to admit the utter hopelessness of her situation, we see everything that has pinned her to a corkboard like a beautiful butterfly. She has been captured by her own false beliefs as well as by his very convincing lies. He does not want her to be a living woman, but a symbol for him to hide behind. Yes, it is brilliant. It reveals without editorializing or preaching the universal struggle of self-deception and denial. While I’m guessing that most us cannot relate to this particular situation, far too many of us can relate to the sad practice of being a willing participant in our own destruction.

CHRIS V.

Wow. Just wow. The sense of isolation and loneliness that these two feel simply rolls off the screen. One realizes he will go on pretending as long as she will let him. The viewer sees her clinging to hope in a desolate situation and feels with her how difficult it is to face reality.

TINA W.

Rag Doll demonstrated so powerfully the whole tragedy of a marriage in a remarkably short time. It is truly wonderful writing, the kind that shows instead of tells: Simple brushstrokes revealing such profound sorrow.

I only just now realized there is no dialogue, only her voice over, which offers strictly an ironic counterpoint. Everything she says to us contradicts what we are seeing on screen. It’s as if in order to survive this situation, she can never truly let herself verbalize how unbearable it is. This is a study of her far more than the husband who uses her to hide his difficulty.

CHRISTINE HELRIGEL

How with so few scenes this whole marriage can be laid bare is amazing. One sees a situation two people got themselves into because they wanted reality to be what they hoped instead of accepting what was. How much human sorrow comes from this? Fear of not being loved or accepted for who we really are keeps many of us in similar hopeless situations.

SARA R.

This is the kind of film that could bring about intense discussions about marriage. Is it lack of honesty that traps people together, or is it our own fears, insecurities, and false beliefs? In Rag Doll, we are left with an overwhelming sadness, in part because we can relate to everything the woman says. Where on earth should she go from here?

F.S.

Rag Doll

Director’s Statement

RAG DOLL is a story about a woman who’s married to a gay man. I know the story well, because it was mine for nearly 8 ½ years, and it’s a story that’s all too common in this day and age. However, we live in world where everyone wants to celebrate the bravery of those who eventually shed the constraints of society and embrace their true natures. No one ever talks about the woman. No one ever asks how she’s been damaged as a result.

I wanted to give her a voice. I wanted to show the wounds that afflict her in the wake of another person’s self-discovery. When a woman is married to a gay man, the harm to her self-perception, her fragile feminine core, her very identity, is devastating. Indeed, I have been impaired in ways I could have never even imagined, and to this day I strive for healing, restoration and a return to wholeness.

Unfortunately, as much as a woman in my situation may want to blame the other party for her injuries, what I’ve found to be consistently true is that the woman is complicit in her own destruction. This is due, in large part, to the tremendous amount of confusion surrounding the idea of unconditional love. How much power does love actually have? And what does real love look like? We inherit some very false perceptions about these notions from both our society and our own dysfunctional upbringings. In the end, the worst lies are the ones we tell ourselves, because they keep us trapped in hopeless situations, and we become unwitting accomplices in the annihilation of our own souls.

RAG DOLL is an edgy, thought-provoking short film about a woman who stays married to a gay man because of her own childhood dysfunction and twisted understanding of love. And yet, she tries desperately to convince herself and others that this is real love – to know another’s damage and to love them anyway. It’s the story of love gone awry, and the pain that exists when we become blinded by our own human frailty. And it’s a story that desperately needs to be told.

Zach Johaneson

Producer

For the last six years, Zach has worked as a filmmaker at Helio Collective. He spent several years as an animator before becoming art director, and for the last year three years, he has been fulfilling the demanding role of Creative Director. Zach has extensive experience in every aspect of production, from assembling a crew to budgeting, shooting, editing, and marketing the final product. He was the driving force behind Rag Doll and ensured not only an excellent film but one that came in on budget. You can learn more about Zach by visiting www.wearehelio.com.

Logan Triplett

Cinematographer

Logan is an incredibly talented and well-respected director of photography who’s worked for a variety of production companies in and around Montana. He specializes in commercial, narrative, and special effects cinematography, and has a passion for telling stories visually. Watch Logan’s reel at www.logantriplett.com.

Zena Dell Lowe

Writer, Director

Zena literally sat down and wrote the script for Rag Doll in a single morning. The story was close to her heart since it was inspired by real-life experiences. To find out more about Zena’s passion to create Rag Doll, CLICK HERE to read her director’s statement.

Rag Doll has opened up a number of opportunities for Zena to speak to other women in similar situations, offering experience, strength, and hope that only comes from first-hand knowledge. Contact Zena to arrange for her to speak at an upcoming conference or private event.

Blayne Weaver

Blayne Weaver, of Bossier City, Louisiana, began his acting career in high school with the film The Flood: Who Will Save Our Children? (1993), an NBC movie of the week. His first major TV movie was The Good Old Boys (1995) with Tommy Lee Jones. He has since done guest spots on ER (1994), JAG (1995), Chicago Hope (1994), NCIS (2003) and did the voice of Peter Pan in Disney’s animated film Peter Pan II: Return to Neverland (2002). He co-wrote and acted in the IFC feature film Manic (2001) (starring Don Cheadle), which premiered at the Sundance film festival. In 2004 he formed Secret Identity Productions with childhood friend Brandon Barrera. Their first film, Losing Lois Lane (2004), a short about a depressed Superman, was Weaver’s directorial debut. Secret Identity then produced Outside Sales (2006), its first feature, which Weaver wrote and directed. He went on to write and direct S.I.P’s next feature Weather Girl (2009). Next, he starred in the thriller Favor (2013) then directed and starred in 6 Month Rule (2011). Next up Weaver will direct Santa Girl (2018)

Zena Dell Lowe

Zena had originally planned to cast someone else to play the role of the woman in Rag Doll, but since this story was so quintessentially her own, she felt it was imperative that she play the role herself. This proved to be challenging since she was also the film’s Director, but in the end, the gamble paid off. In addition to her role in Rag Doll Zena has been a working actress for over 15 years. She’s done her fair share of dramatic roles, such as a recurring role as Francine Cerullo on General Hospital, and most recently a principal role in Director Kelly Reichardt’s latest film, Certain Women starring Laura Dern and Kristen Stewart, which screened at Sundance in 2016. However, it’s comedy that Zena loves. She has played a number of quirky characters on stage and in film. To see some clips of Zena’s work, go to her acting website at www.zenadell.com.

John Hosking

John is an incredibly talented and versatile film, television and stage actor who’s worked on various productions in and around Montana for over 40 years. For 32 of those years, he was a co-founding member and the Artistic Director of the Vigilante Players, a highly acclaimed touring troupe who brought original, professional theatre to rural audiences throughout the Northwest Region. As a Veteran stage actor, John can play just about anything, from the most over-the-top, farcical characters, to the most dramatic. Some of his recent credits include Landon Mars in Jimmie & Pete at the Ellen Theatre, Colonel Pickering in My Fair Lady at Intermountain Opera, and Richard Hannay in 39 Steps, also at the Ellen Theatre. Most recently, John had the privilege of playing Willie Lohman in the Montana Shakespeare’s production of Death Of A Salesman. His performance was lauded as the best of his career.