Walking with Herb (2021) — AI Story Visualization

Plot Analysis Summary

A grieving bank president confronts despair, rediscovers faith, and completes a divinely assigned mission with Herb's guidance.

Story Structure — 5 Plot Phases

Grief And Financial Pressure

A family struggles with multiple deaths, weakened faith, mortgage arrears, and a nonprofit school's financial crisis. The bank president also faces pressure from a bank examiner.

Key Events

• Family Grief — A married couple grieves with their daughter after the deaths of her husband and toddler daughter. Location: A small New Mexico town
• Faith Begins To Fade — The grieving bank president becomes bitter and angry with God after losing his granddaughter. Location: The family home
• Punching Bag Anger — The bank president takes his frustrations out on an office punching bag. Location: The bank office
• Domestic Verbal Strain — He verbally lashes out at his wife, who wisely deflects the attacks. Location: The family home
• Mortgage Arrears — The daughter is three months behind on her home mortgage. Location: The bank
• School Financial Crisis — The nonprofit school struggles financially and is three hundred thousand dollars in arrears. Location: Jardin Del Sol
• Bank Examiner Pressure — A bank examiner pressures the president to pursue foreclosure of the nonprofit school. Location: The bank

An Unlikely Messenger

Herb appears on a makeshift golf course and claims that God has chosen the bank president for a special mission. Suspicion initially keeps the troubled man emotionally guarded.

Key Events

• Garden Preparations — The wife maintains her faith while preparing her flower garden for an upcoming judging event. Location: The flower garden
• Herb Appears — Herb, a motorcycle-riding emissary of God, meets the bank president in the middle of nowhere. Characters: Herb Location: A makeshift golf course
• Sand Wedge Introduced — Herb's messengering service includes a lovable dachshund named Sand Wedge. Characters: Herb Location: A makeshift golf course
• Mission Revealed — Herb tells the bank president that God has chosen him for a special mission. Characters: Herb Location: A makeshift golf course
• Initial Distrust — The bank president is initially suspicious and distrustful of Herb's message. Characters: Herb Location: A makeshift golf course

The Cliffside Choice

The bank president contemplates suicide during a rainy night at a cliff. Herb's intense conversation becomes a crucial moment that begins to change their relationship.

Key Events

• Rainy Cliff Crisis — During a rainy night, the bank president contemplates suicide at the edge of a cliff. Characters: Herb Location: The edge of a cliff
• Heart To Heart — Herb engages him in an intense conversation and offers to let him end his life. Characters: Herb Location: The edge of a cliff
• A Mellowing Spirit — After the conversation, the bank president begins to mellow and his relationship with Herb deepens. Characters: Herb Location: The edge of a cliff

Guidance Through Doubt

Herb becomes a confidante, coach, spiritual guide, and caddy. Humor, wisdom, common sense, and Bible verses help restore the bank president's faith.

Key Events

• Wisdom And Scripture — Herb offers humor, common sense, wisdom, and Bible verses during their conversations. Characters: Herb Location: The makeshift golf course
• Faith Starts Returning — The special mission strengthens the bank president's faith despite his continuing doubts. Characters: Herb Location: The makeshift golf course

The Mission Completed

The bank president uses his talents, leaves his comfort zone, and persists despite doubt. The resulting benefits extend beyond anything he expected.

Key Events

• Talents Put To Work — His willingness to complete the mission helps him develop his existing God-given talents. Characters: Herb Location: The small New Mexico town
• Beyond Comfort — The bank president steps outside his comfort zone and persists in completing the mission. Characters: Herb Location: The small New Mexico town
• Unexpected Benefits — His stick-to-itiveness produces benefits reaching far beyond what he could have planned. Characters: Herb Location: The small New Mexico town

Story Breakdown

• Family Grief — Multiple losses destabilize the family and severely weaken the bank president's faith.
  • Deaths In The Family — The family grieves after the deaths of a physician husband and a toddler daughter.
  • Anger At God — The bank president becomes bitter after losing his beloved granddaughter.
• Financial Burdens — Mortgage arrears and the nonprofit school's debt create pressure at home and at the bank.
  • Mortgage Delinquency — The daughter falls three months behind on her home mortgage.
  • School Debt — Jardin Del Sol is described as three hundred thousand dollars in arrears.
• Institutional Pressure — The bank president's professional responsibilities conflict with his family concerns.
  • Foreclosure Demand — A bank examiner demands more aggressive pursuit of foreclosure.
  • Moral Conflict — The financial crisis places the bank president under intense personal and professional strain.
• Herb's Arrival — Herb enters the bank president's life as an unusual emissary who announces a special mission.
  • Golf Course Meeting — Herb meets him on a makeshift golf course in the middle of nowhere.
  • Special Mission — Herb says that God has chosen the bank president for a mission.
• Crisis And Change — A suicidal crisis and an intense conversation begin the protagonist's emotional transformation.
  • Cliffside Despair — The bank president contemplates suicide at the edge of a cliff during a rainy night.
  • Heart To Heart — Herb offers a direct, intense conversation that helps him begin to mellow.
• Spiritual Guidance — Herb supports the bank president through humor, scripture, wisdom, and practical encouragement.
  • Coach And Caddy — Herb becomes his confidante, coach, spiritual guide, and caddy.
  • Growing Faith — The mission strengthens his faith even though doubts continue.
• Mission And Growth — Persistence enables the bank president to use his talents and act beyond his comfort zone.
  • Talents Developed — His willingness to continue helps him grow existing God-given talents.
  • Unexpected Benefits — The mission's benefits extend far beyond what he could have planned.

Directed by

Ross Kagan Marks

Key Cast

• Edward James Olmos — Joe Amable-Amo
• George López — Herb
• Kathleen Quinlan — Sheila Amable-Amo
• Jessica Medoff — Audrey Amable-Amo
• Johnathan McClain — Gabe Berkowitz