The backyard pool represents the quintessential suburban dream for families, and the comedic short film The Current State of the Backyard Pool Industry, directed by Derek Frey, spins this ideal into a fantastical tale. The Osgood family finds itself in a funk as patriarch Henry Osgood (Gil Damon) wrestles with whether to invest in costly pool repairs or fill it in altogether to save money. Pool salesman Rick Kettinger (Steve Kuzmick) makes his pitch, but recognizing the financial strain, gives Henry one final night to consider the pool’s future. That night, Henry is visited by a mysterious stranger, Willy Chamieux (David Amadio), whose presence leaves him conflicted and reflective. Like something out of a Mary Poppins–style fairy tale, Willy’s visit blurs the line between reality and dream, prompting Henry, his wife Shana (Sharon Damon), and their children Dylan (Henry Damon) and Brooke (Eleanor Damon) to confront—together—what truly matters and where their family priorities lie.

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Frey, who also serves as producer, editor, and cinematographer, crafts a delightful comedic romp that plays like a cross between a dream and a music video. Written by the comedy troupe The Minor Prophets (David Amadio, Gil Damon, and Steve Kuzmick), the script showcases the ensemble’s over-the-top comedic timing, led by Damon. His charismatic, fatherly goofball performance sets the film’s emotional tone, balancing broad humor with genuine family warmth. Audiences are likely to leave feeling uplifted, having been carried along on a playful ride with amusing and lovable characters. A joyfully choreographed (Amadio) sequence evokes a classic Hollywood Busby Berkeley musical, unfolding like a water-induced trance set to Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. Here, water becomes a powerful visual metaphor for the human spirit and the enduring innocence of childhood. ​ 

 

The original score by Klebe & Davis delivers a playful, melodic accompaniment that encourages audiences to root for the Osgoods, including the ironically titled standout track “The Backs of Sea Turtles.”

 

One of the film’s visual highlights from the stylish and purposeful cinematography (Frey), is a shimmering night sequence bathed in cool blue light, allowing the music-driven moments to fully resonate. These nocturnal scenes create a visually rich backdrop for a pivotal emotional turning point for the Osgood family, signaling to the audience that something quietly magical is unfolding. Amadio, performs the character of Willy with an eccentric quirky charm, that will make audience wonder where he comes from and his motivations, but his comic book style performance supplements the fatherly character of Henry.

 

The Current State of the Backyard Pool Industry is a uniquely original short film that playfully draws on classic tropes across genres to tell a compelling, fun, and ultimately uplifting story about family. As the line between reality and dream begins to blur, audiences are invited to question their own assumptions about what they are witnessing. Frey delicately threads the film’s recurring motif of water into a broader meditation on human existence, reminding us—both poetically and existentially—that the human body itself is composed almost entirely of water.