DETOUR
Written & Directed by William Dickerson
Jackson Alder is a cutting edge ad exec at the top of his game. He is carelessly driving along a precarious mountain road pitching ideas to his assistant on his way to a lunch meeting when his SUV is suddenly assaulted by nature—as he is swallowed up by a monstrous mudslide, biblical in its enormity. Trapped inside his car alone, encased in mud, Jackson embarks on a journey—a road trip into the heart of a man he’s only just getting to know. He cycles through the five stages of grief—Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Despair and, finally, Acceptance. As the reality of his circumstances begin to sink in, he realizes that no one is coming for him, only he can save himself. He begins to assess and manage his physical circumstances, as he does this he’s introduced to the stakes of his mental circumstances as well, which are even more dire. Without anyone else’s support, the mental hurdles of overcoming his situation prove stifling. For the first time in his life he’s forced to acknowledge the possibility of death—a possibility that grows more likely with each passing minute. Jackson, the consummate and witty advertising executive, sheds his suit and pitches himself one of the hardest sells of his career—that he’s going to make it out of this alive.