It takes patience, openness, and constant goodwill to maintain a long-term friendship. Those who have known us for many years help us remember our younger selves and the early bonds that brought us together. Quite a number of fine films have been made about friendship but few have tackled the difficult subject of the waning of this intimate tie between two people. In his directorial debut, Tony Barbieri has fashioned a moving and elegantly structured drama on this important theme.
Nick (Kane Picoy) is a young man who lives in San Francisco in the ground floor apartment of a building owned by his parents. He blew a promising career as a professional baseball player by striking his manager. Now he's licking his wounds and working as a garbage man. Nick drives to a state penitentiary to pick up his best friend Charlie (Jason Cairns) who has been serving time for assisting his incapacitated grandfather in suicide. They don't speak much and stop for a time at China Beach.
On one level, One depicts the difficult path ex-cons must travel as they struggle to rebuild their lives after doing time. Charlie moves in with Nick who gets him a part-time job working as a garbage collector. As part of his rehabilitation, he is required to do 100 hours of community service. He is assigned to work with Sara (Autumn Macintosh) who delivers medical supplies to disabled children. He also decides to attend college part-time with hopes of eventually becoming a teacher.
Meanwhile his friend Nick sees an old coach and learns that he will recommend him to a minor league team. Charlie helps him out in his training regimen but decides to move into an apartment of his own on the recommendation of his parole officer (Muhammed Hasan). And he starts dating Sara.
Some friends, like jazz musicians, can play spontaneous variations on the themes of their relationship, no matter what happens to each of them. But it becomes increasingly apparent that Charlie and Nick can't make music together anymore. They are on different tracks and even all their past history isn't enough to keep them on the same page. One is a compelling film about the demise of a long friendship.