0-1

A woman is standing in a bathroom. It is out of style with tiles on the wall. The bathroom is dark but the window shows it is sunny outside. Her had is on the counter pushing down on something. It looks like she is looking down at her hand. There is a flower growing in a pot in bloom but it looks like it is probably fake. It is placed in a precarious position above the sink. If someone bumped into it, it could easily fall. It suggests both her and the flower are in danger of falling off the edge. Our perspective is looking through a half open door. We are lower than her like a child looking through the door. This suggests that she may be responsible for a child. The word “listen” is on the right of the screen.

1-2

The woman is piling up a white powder with her fingers. In the earlier frame, she was crushing a pill to form this white powder. This is not how pills are prescribed to be taken. She is abusing her own or someone else’s medication. She is likely a drug addict. The word “listen” fades.

2-4

A young man is walking out of the door in a hurry. An older man that seems to be his dad is standing outside. The man looks like he wants to talk to his son about the bag in his hand. The younger man ignores him and continues walking. He seems to be walking to his car.

4-6

The man looks at his son leaving. He is standing outside of his house. At first, his mouth is open and he looks surprised or like he is going to say something. Then he tightly closes his mouth. He looks angry at his son. He looks old and tired. It looks like he hasn’t been sleeping. The word “change” appears on the screen.

6-7

The word fades. They are in a suburban neighborhood. There are a lot of trees that are creating shade. Both their lawn and the neighbor’s lawn don’t have grass but instead just dirt or wood chips. The neighbor down the street has a well kept lawn with grass. All of the houses look similar. The same architect probably designed all of them or they used the same model.  The son is walking to the car. He turns around angrily and yells something back at his dad. He has a jacket in his hand.

7-8

The word “problem appears”. Another young man appears on the drivers side of the car. He was watching and waiting for the other. He is about the same age as the other kid. He doesn’t seem bothered by the fact that his friend was just yelling at his dad. He gets into the car.

8-9

There is a close up of the father’s hands. He is holding a plastic bag with white pills in it. They were his son’s. They were fighting about the son’s drug use. He turns to go back into the house. He is wearing a watch and an oxford shirt. He seems moderately successful. He can’t understand why his son would get into drugs instead of getting a job like he did.  The words fade.

9-11

The son is riding in the back of the car. The window is down. He is looking out the window. He looks tired or deep in thought. Glare from the sun flickers and whiteness the picture. The sun is going down.

11-14

The kid is arguing with a woman his age. It’s probably his girlfriend. It is night time. They are in a suburban neighborhood walking down the sidewalk. The camera moves closer. It looks like he is trying to explain himself. She doesn’t accept the explanation and is still mad. The word “help” appears multiple times on the screen.

14-15

The screen cuts to black. All the words but one disappear.

15-16

The son is on the phone, crying. His hand is against his head. It looks like he is sitting on the ground outside with his back against a concrete wall. The last “help” fades.

16-17

The son and father are sitting on a bench in a park. He was probably reaching out to his father in the last scene on the phone. The man has a wedding ring on. The son is looking forward at the ground and the father is looking at the son. It seems like the son is talking and the father is listening to him. The father is trying to give him a chance to explain himself and tell his side of the story. The man has the same tired, worn out look in his eyes. He has bags under his eyes.

17-18

We are looking over the father’s shoulder. The son is turning his head to look his father in the eye. There seems to be an understanding between them.

18-19

The son is now at what seems to be an AA or NA meeting. He is in a circle with others. They are sitting on metal folding chairs. He is looking at a woman with a paper on her leg. She seems to be in charge. It looks like they are in a school auditorium.

19-20

Camera pans around the outside of the circle. The son is holding a book and looking at the person next to him. The book says, “Under the Influence.” The son is trying to learn about his addiction and get better.

20-21

The son walking out of a building. The building is made of concrete and has bars on the windows. He says bye to the people outside the building. They all look happy.

21-23

His dad and the woman he was arguing with are there next a car that appears to be their’s. The dad hugs his son tightly as the woman watches. They pull away and the dad smiles for the first time in the video. The woman is smiling and hugs the son around his neck. Everyone is happy. The word “change” fades in and out.

24-28

The two are still hugging. The camera pans up to a tree. Sunlight is filtered through the leaves. You are shown where to go for addiction help and the word listen.

Listen | Addiction Support | Ad Council