On Hold

24 responses to “On Hold”

1. Dear Blake Martin,

   I just wanted to personally thank you for writing and directing On Hold with Paris JA. I don’t say this lightly, but your film truly moved me. It wasn’t just a movie—it was an experience that left me emotional long after the credits rolled.

   What struck me most was how grounded and honest the story felt. There were no over-the-top moments or unrealistic solutions. Instead, you showed the quiet struggles that so many people face every single day but often suffer through in silence.

   The line, “I’m doing everything I’m supposed to do, and everything is working against me,” has been replaying in my mind ever since I watched it. I think that’s a feeling many hardworking people know all too well. Sometimes you’re doing everything society tells you to do—working, paying your bills, trying to be a good parent, a good child, a good friend—and somehow life still feels like it’s closing in on you from every direction.

   What made On Hold so powerful was that every obstacle felt painfully real.

   Watching him spend what felt like forever on hold with the bank wasn’t just about customer service—it represented how helpless people can feel when the systems they’re told to rely on don’t show up when they need them most.

   The conversations with his mother broke my heart. You captured something so many people experience: wanting help but not wanting to burden the people who love you. Then hearing his mother tell him how proud she was while he was quietly carrying the weight of everything alone… that scene shattered me. Sometimes we smile through our pain because we don’t want our loved ones to worry, even when we’re barely holding ourselves together.

   The scene with his best friend was equally heartbreaking. You could see him wrestling with his pride, trying to figure out whether to ask for help or keep pretending everything was okay. That internal battle was portrayed so honestly.

   Then there was the phone call about his daughter. Knowing she was already on the bus for the school trip and realizing she might not be able to go because of an unpaid balance… that was devastating. As a viewer, I could feel the guilt, the embarrassment, and the heartbreak of a parent who wants nothing more than to provide for their child but simply can’t catch a break.

   The property manager knocking on the door, the unpaid rent, finally getting a representative on the phone only for the electricity to be disconnected—it felt like watching someone drown while trying to keep everyone else from noticing they couldn’t breathe.

   Then came the eviction notice.

   By that point, I was already in tears.

   Not because it was simply sad, but because it felt real. There wasn’t a miracle that magically fixed everything. There wasn’t a speech that changed his circumstances overnight. There was just a man trying to survive while the walls kept closing in around him.

   That honesty is what makes On Hold so special.

   Your film reminded me that financial hardship doesn’t always come from laziness or poor choices. Sometimes it happens to good people who are working hard, making sacrifices, and doing everything they can to keep their families afloat. We don’t often see those stories told with this much compassion and humanity.

   As someone who has experienced seasons where it felt like life kept piling one challenge on top of another, I saw myself in this story. I also saw friends, neighbors, coworkers, and countless people who quietly carry burdens the rest of the world never sees.

   Thank you for writing characters with dignity instead of stereotypes. Thank you for allowing the audience to sit with discomfort instead of rushing to easy answers. Thank you for reminding us that behind every eviction notice, overdue bill, disconnected utility, or desperate phone call is a human being who deserves empathy.

   And thank you for trusting your audience to feel every moment.

   Stories like On Hold matter because they remind us to extend grace. We never truly know what someone is carrying when they smile and say they’re “fine.”

   Congratulations on creating such a powerful film. I have no doubt it will continue to touch people because it speaks to something deeply human. I can’t wait to see what stories you tell next.

   Thank you for sharing your gift with the world.

   With gratitude,

   BlackSallie

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2. Hey Ronnie,

   I’m reaching out because I just have to tell you how much I loved you in On Hold. I’m not gonna front—I definitely felt you in so many ways. Thank you for telling a story that so many people live every day but rarely get to see represented with this much honesty.

   When your character said, “I’m doing everything I’m supposed to do, and everything is working against me,” I had to pause. That line hit me in my soul because I’ve been there. Sometimes you’re checking every box, working hard, trying to make the right decisions, and somehow life just keeps knocking you down anyway. It feels like every time you solve one problem, three more show up.

   Watching everything unfold was heartbreaking.

   From sitting on hold with the bank, hoping someone would finally pick up and help… to calling your mom because you needed help but still trying to protect her from your pain… to talking with your best friend and almost asking for help, then swallowing your pride because you didn’t want to feel like a burden. I think so many of us know what it’s like to need help but not know how to ask for it.

   Then came the phone call from your daughter’s school. My heart broke. Knowing she was already on the bus for the trip, she was going to be pulled off because the no payment… that scene hurt. You could see the disappointment, the guilt, and the helplessness on your face. Every parent wants to give their child the world, and sometimes life makes you feel like you’re failing them even when you’re giving everything you’ve got.

   Then the property manager knocking on your door asking for the rent. The anxiety just kept building. Finally getting through to a bank representative after waiting forever… only for the lights to shut off in the middle of it. I literally put my head down because I knew that feeling. It’s like life won’t even give you the chance to catch your breath.

   And the scene that completely broke me was when you talked to your mom. You lied and told her everything was okay because you didn’t want her to worry. Then she told you how proud she was of you. Whew… that hit differently. Sometimes the people who love us the most have no idea how much we’re carrying because we’re trying so hard to protect them from our struggles and your whole world was falling apart.

   Then, as if all of that wasn’t enough, the property manager handed you the eviction notice. I cried. Not because it was just another sad moment, but because it felt real. You need to show stability to keep shared custody with your ex. There was no dramatic superhero ending. It was just a man trying his hardest to survive, to protect his daughter, to keep his dignity, and to hold everything together while everything around him was falling apart.

   That’s why this film resonated with me so deeply. It reminded me that there are people walking around every day smiling, going to work, showing up for everyone else, while quietly wondering how they’re going to make it through tomorrow. They’re doing everything society tells them they’re supposed to do, and somehow they’re still barely staying afloat.

   Your performance didn’t ask people to pity your character—it asked us to have compassion. You showed the humanity behind financial hardship, pride, fatherhood, and perseverance. You made me feel the weight of every decision, every unanswered phone call, every unpaid bill, every ounce of hope that slowly slipped away.

   I cried because I saw pieces of myself, pieces of people I love, and pieces of so many families who are silently fighting battles no one else knows about.

   Thank you for giving such an honest, vulnerable, and unforgettable performance. You didn’t just play a character—you made people feel seen. That’s a gift, and I don’t take it for granted.

   I’m wishing you nothing but continued success. I truly believe this performance is going to stay with people for a long time, and I can’t wait to see what you do next. ~BlackSallie

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