One Week is a McGrathian animated drama film that was written by Henry Nicholson and directed by Patrick Jones. It is about two boys from two different backgrounds spending a week in juvenile detention. Through challenges, group programs, and chores, they learn trust, forgiveness, and the meaning of a real friendship.
The film is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). It was released on Friday, November 28, 2023, in McGrathia. It is available to stream in American on Amazon Prime Video.
Plot
The film opens up in the juvenile intake area. 14-year-old Sergey Petrov stands nervously with his backpack. Behind him, Michael Torres enters to building humming to himself. Sergey and Michael follow Officer Ramirez, where Sergey and Michael discover that they will be cellmates. The room is a small cell with two bunkbeds and a small window. Michael goes onto the top bunk while Sergey quietly unpacks his backpack.
In the cafeteria during lunch, Sergey and Michael sit together when a tough kid named Jordan loudly drops his lunch tray onto the table. As Sergey keeps his head down, Michael tries to joke with Jordan, which causes him to walk away. It is revealed in this scene that Michael talks when he is nervous.
Later that same day, Sergey, Michael, and Jordan are in the afternoon workshop with Ms. Harland. For that day’s exercise, everyone is expected to cooperate in building a model bridge with craft sticks. What follows is a montage of Sergey and Michael building their bridges while Jordan mockingly flex his “masterpiece.” Ms. Harland tests Sergey and Michael’s bridge by placing weight on it and their bridge holds strong.
The following day, the boys are working in the community garden. As part of their service work, they are expected to pull out weeds and clean out the garden. Jordan begins teasing Sergey, Michael defends him and is about to fight with Jordan. Just when Michael and Jordan are about to fight, Sergey steps between them both and breaks up the fight. Jordan walks away while Michael congratulates Sergey for saving him.
Later that night, Sergey and Michael talk to each other about how they got put in juvenile hall. Sergey says that he skipped school and graffitied a picture of a dragon onto the wall of a school. Michael then tells Sergey that he stole a pair of headphones from a store while breaking his curfew.
On their final day in juvenile detention, the group builds a small mural sign for the community garden. Ms. Harland passes a paintbrush to Sergey and he paints a colorful flower onto the sign while Michael paints besides him. Jordan is impressed by Sergey and for once doesn’t show sarcasm.
On the day of their release, Sergey sits with his backpack. Michael joins him while holding his papers. Officer Ramirez tells them that they are free to leave. As their families wait outside, Sergey and Michael walk out and say that they will meet again at the park on Monday. The boys bump fists and walk toward their families as the screen fades to black.
Voice Cast
- Toby Smith as Sergey Petrov, a thoughtful introverted kid who is quick to blame himself.
- Jeff Greene as Michael Torres, a talkative, funny, and restless boy who often gets in trouble trying to impress others.
- Juan Pablo Sanchez as Officer Ramirez, supervisor for the juvenile facility.
- Dashawn Williams as Jordan, a tough kid who is loud and sarcastic.
- Elizabeth Schuster as Ms. Harland, the youth counselor who runs the group workshop and outdoor service work.
Production
The film was animated by Manitoba Entertainment, an animation studio based out of the Canadian province of Manitoba. The film is in a 2D animated format, similar to old cartoons from the 1960s. Voice acting was recorded in Hollywood, California.
The characters of Sergey Petrov and Michael Torres were named after Sergey Putin and Michael McGrath respectively. The film was distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) in the United States. In McGrathia, the film was distributed by McGrath Pictures, an independent film distributor owned by Joe McGrath.