Written and directed by Jeffrey Tipton, My Choice is a 2024 drama that stars Riley Christopher Kershaw, Rachel Ashley Johnson, Bobby Britton and Charles Holzner.
The story goes as follows: James Johnson (played by Riley Christopher Kershaw) is a 29 year old devout Christian man. A virgin residing in LA, James decides that it is time to step foot inside the dating world. As he goes online to step into this complicated universe, James is unprepared for the sheer confusion and unpredictability that dating will have on his life. As his first date sets his world on fire, James finds himself giving in to his urges. Thankfully, his pro life pastor comes to his aid and James finally has someone in his corner to navigate his quest for love.
Fresh off the heels of the 2023 hacker drama Code Break, Jeffrey Tipton decides to do something completely different for his next adventure. Focusing on the exploits of a 29 year old Christian man whose whole world goes upside down once he steps foot in the world of online dating, Tipton brings this rip roaring story to life with his usual flair and flamboyance.
First things first; the direction is fantastic. The way Tipton is able to set and progress this story is laudable. With a plethora of characters to juggle and a relatively complex subject matter to bring to life; it was always going to be risky to get the central narrative just right. While most filmmakers would have fumbled this tale of a devout Christian man discovering online dating, Tipton brings this unique story to life successfully as he wholeheartedly embraces the outlandish premise in its entirety.
Pulling double duty as both writer and director, Tipton’s script is both sharp and poignant. The characters are as real as they come and the dialogue comes across as both earnest and believable. From the opening scene, it becomes clear that Tipton has a unique handle on how he wants to approach the story. Expertly utilising a plethora of narrative tools, Tipton manages to plunge the audience along with the protagonist into the unpredictable world of online dating. As our hero struggles to stay afloat, so too does the audience. By putting the viewers right into the shoes of James, Tipton utilises the meshing of the genres to create something unique and memorable. With a great script in place, it always comes down to the narrative pacing to conjure up a story that does the characters justice whilst taking the audience on a journey that feels both worthwhile and satisfying.
In the acting department, Riley Christopher Kershaw is fantastic as James. Riley manages to bring a subdued charisma to the role and his measured performance is the anchor on which the entire film hinges. Equally impressive are Rachel Ashley Johnson and Charles Holzner both of whom manage to excel at their roles. However, it is Bobby Britton whose performance as the pro life pastor is the most memorable. Stoic and upright, Britton is resolute and provides a much needed anchor to Kershaw’s character within the context of the story.
Also, Bobby and Riley work well together and their dialogues bounce off of each other really well. All in all, the entire cast manages to do great and all of their performances elevate the entire film. A richly made drama that pulls out all the stops, Jeffrey Tipton’s My Choice does well given its different subject matter. Although it doesn’t break the genre mould, the film is good enough to stand on its own two feet. Well shot and well acted, the film is one of director Jeffrey Tipton’s best and provides Tipton with some serious cred on his resume for his next project.
