There's a moment at the beginning of Lean on Pete that seems so naturalistic and incidental, it hadn't even occurred to me it might reveal a lot about the central character, Charley.

On his way out for his morning run, Charley picks up a moving box lying on the ground in front of his house and puts it in a recycling bin.

When I talked to writer-director Andrew Haigh about the film, I discovered that this moment was actually written into the script.

As Haigh put it, "He’s leaving the house, and then he puts a bit of a box back in the recycling bin, to cover it up so that it looks a bit nicer."

I think about this moment a lot now because of all the tiny things it tells us about Charley:

✨ He's just moved into this home — hence the moving boxes

✨ He's proud enough to make it look nice — and perhaps a little ashamed when it doesn't

✨ He's quietly taking responsibility for a mess his father likely left behind

And for a film about the search for a safe and stable home, that's all very important.

Here's what Andrew Haigh told me about this moment — and others like it — in my book on his film Lean on Pete:

Moments like these are easy to overlook — because you don't immediately assume that putting a box in a recycling bin is a meaningful character beat.

But when you take the time to slow down to actually notice these little actions and think about what they mean —

You go from feeling what a movie is doing to being able to articulate it. And in so doing, feel it more deeply.

That's exactly what we'll do inside The Deep Focus: Lean on Pete, starting next Wednesday.

Dig into the small emotional action beats, and see what they reveal.

I'll pick scenes that reward this kind of looking — and ask questions to draw your attention to details that might seem insignificant, but actually reveal a lot.

And with three chances to do this live (plus recordings you can revisit), you'll get a little better at it each time.

Curious what other simple actions you might discover are pregnant with meaning?

​Find all the details here →​

We begin on May 27 and end on June 7.

Alex

P.S. If you join The Deep Focus by Sunday, May 24, you'll also get a complimentary copy of my book on Lean on Pete.

The book features interviews with director Andrew Haigh, cinematographer Magnus Jøenk, and editor Jonathan Alberts — so you can expand your thinking on the film outside of our three live sessions.

Not interested in The Deep Focus: Lean on Pete? Click here to skip future emails about this round.​