A Life Like Mine
2013, 28 minutes
A man trying to live the ‘perfect’ life, but who is hiding from the dark secrets of his past.
This is a story about Adrian Dell a man of structure, routine and principles. Fifty principles, to be precise, all of which he believes can lead anyone to personal and professional fulfilment. These are what he practices and what he preaches, working as a ‘life coach’ in an idyllic British coastal town. Adrian truly believes that his purpose is to help others reach their own fulfilment through the practising of his ‘principles’ and loves working with his clients to help them achieve this. A man with a comfortable home, a successful wife, two beautiful children and the admiration of his clients, he appears to have it all. But we begin to realise that perhaps the man that we see on the outside doesn’t quite match the true character underneath. It’s surprising to see that Adrian’s ever positive outlook doesn’t always come naturally. It is something he has to ‘tune into’ every day, using his carefully designed routines and exercises. In fact, Adrian is a man flawed like any other; he is only human, he just covers it better. A letter arrives which suddenly uproots and shatters his world. His idyll is thrown completely out of balance as truths about a tangled, secret past emerge making even those who trust him most, his friends, family and clients, question who he really is. Adrian must go backwards to go forwards; relinquish his reliance on rules and routine and face up to his personal reality. Revisiting a part of his life where he was most vulnerable undermines everything that he preaches, but he cannot deny the truth any more. He must reconnect and heal his past to ultimately get his life back on track.
