Writer-director Ian Ebright’s film "The Way We Speak" follows Simon Harrington (Patrick Fabian), a rising essayist who identifies himself as a futurist whose plans to have a spirited debate with his best friend as part of a keynote address are disrupted by the sudden passing of his friend. Simon’s reticence to leave the spotlight, however, results in him having to face his opponent – a young faith-based scholar and their easy-going friendship slowly starts to turn ugly as the debate progresses, even producing cracks in the relationship between Simon and his wife.

The trick in producing interest or choosing to tackle questions of the existence of God or whether any higher power can drive our fate or help us survive through moments of unimaginable loss. The trick is not in getting any direct answers to any such questions. If irrefutable evidence ever came to pass regarding the existence (or lack of) of a higher power, it would open a can of worms so tightly stuck that the worms would overwhelm the world once opened.

But that doesn’t take away the fun of debating the existential question—writer-director Ian Ebright knows this. The premise of a futurist having to battle on stage with a faith-based scholar about proving the effectiveness of faith and the existence of God is juicy. If only because the movie is a soothing balm in an era where discussions are losing all meaning, debate stages are mostly becoming a product of scorn, and it’s easier to simplify complex experiences into singular words and throw them around as closing thoughts rather than provide a discourse.

Under Ebright’s razor-sharp screenplay and assured direction, "The Way We Speak" at least ensures that the segments of Simon (Patrick Fabian) and Sarah (Kelly Rhodes) debating on the stage as a part of a keynote address at Rampart Institute remain riveting. Through the speeches and with the articulation of ideas slowly meandering off into harsh words and harsher comments, the viewers gain context for scenes occurring prior, showcasing Simon’s insecurity bubbling over the surface as he tries to gain the upper hand. It works as companion pieces to the scenes taking place outside the debate stage, with the relationship between Simon and his cancer-afflicted wife Claire Harrington (Diana Coconubo) slowly strained while Claire’s relationship with Sarah seems to be evolving until a decision by Sarah changes the dynamic.

This is the effective trick that Ebright chooses—an acknowledgment that even intellectuals like Simon and Sarah could not walk away from themselves far enough to provide and debate logical questions that demand deeper exploration. Simon’s flaws serve as a source of drama, highlighting his gradual disintegration from his well-articulated and calculated façade, while Sarah also has her shortcomings. She is convinced about the presence of a higher power and how that allows her to look at the forest for the trees, but when push comes to shove, she isn’t immune to being needled and chooses to dredge up information that pushes the boundary.

"The Way We Speak" thus is about articulation, about the construction of thoughts far more than about the content of thoughts, which is an essential topic to be explored through storytelling itself. It uses tropes like a self-centered futurist with a chip on his shoulder, a woman who is a doe in the headlights, or the straining of the relationship between a couple due to obsession of not losing the spotlight – because drama is best explored through the human condition. And if that means not being able to answer existential questions, so be it.

And it is how Ebright chooses to sprinkle in little moments of backstory, like Simon’s alcoholism, that shows the effectiveness of the screenplay. It, however, falters in showcasing Simon’s processing of the grief of losing his best friend through dream sequences that ultimately don’t provide as much emotional poignancy as the director might have desired. The character development of Claire, her crisis of faith as she is nearing death (relying on poetry and art rather than her professional expertise as well as her partner), is explored quite effectively as well. It also tries to bring forth a twist about Sarah’s connection with Simon, but that felt like a needless convolution to further drive a wedge between Simon and everyone around him. However, the performances, especially of Patrick Fabian, Diana Coconubo, and Kelly Rhodes as Simon, Claire, and Sarah, hold the film together, ensuring a riveting watch.

"The Way We Speak" boasts strong performances and stronger dialogue, a requirement for a movie effectively exploring public speaking. It doesn’t work entirely as a sum of all its parts, but individual aspects of the film do manage to elevate it, creating a somewhat scintillating human drama.

Read More: Ghostlight (2024) Movie Review: A cathartic, deeply moving portrait of art’s power to heal

The Way We Speak (2024) Movie Links: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Letterboxd
Cast of The Way We Speak (2024) Movie: Patrick Fabian, Diana Coconubo, Kailey Rhodes, Ayanna Berkshire, Lowell Deo, Reed Diamond
The Way We Speak (2024) Movie Release Date: July 23rd, 2024 | Genre: Drama | Runtime: 1h 27m

Where to watch The Way We Speak

A cinephile who is slowly and steadily exploring the horizons of the literature of films and pop culture. Loves reading books and comics. He loves listening to podcasts while obsessing about the continuity in comics.

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