The Road to Galena

This film carried many sophisticated themes on its back for the full duration. Unfortunately they imploded under the weight of a Hallmark-style/Nicolas Sparks-style delivery. The widow of so-many-months suddenly is open to her first love, is convenient. The managing partner who committed to the firm a few months previous is now sticking a flag in his tiny hometown to fight big business. There are too many superheroes and too many villains for this to be real. The real takeaway is that innumerable martyrs have complicated the field for the living by doing disingenuous things, rather than listening to ones whom they claimed to love. This was a fabricated and convoluted conflict story based upon the sum ignorance of mortals.

Ben Winchell and Aimee Teegarden star as high school sweethearts who have plenty of challenges thrown at them throughout their lives. A well-conceived drama about the stresses of all different sorts of relationships (but particularly father-son) and life in small farming towns, where, increasingly, small, privately-owned farms are being swallowed up by larger companies.

The film also (quite bravely) touches on more difficult subjects like suicide, and has a little of the usual small-town drama you might find in a Hallmark movie, though with it's often heavy subject matter, it definitely isn't one of those. A somewhat predictable ending, but Aimee Teegarden and Ben Winchell were great.

In a film industry saturated with the recycled stories of life in the city, the Road to Galena provides a refreshing window into the life of Cole Baird, a man who dreams of running his own farm. While he wants to follow his dream, he's torn between his desires and the expectations of family.

Joe Hall does a wonderful job of depicting the struggle that's all to relatable to the majority of viewers. His direction was executed to perfection by Ben Winchell, playing Cole Baird, and Aimee Teegarden, playing Elle Shepard. But what really brought the show home was the stellar performance of Jay Sanders, playing John Baird. The raw emotion was palpable and anchored any scene he was in.

Overall, I would recommend The Road to Galena to any viewer who's looking for a story that differs from the oh so familiar cookie cutter formula present in today's movies. It's well worth the watch and will leave you wanting more.

Some reviews level criticism at this film for being too cliche, but they forget that some themes seem cliche because they contain enduring truths. Clearly a labor of love by the writer/director, this film is one of the most authentic and heartfelt that I've ever seen. He knows the farm life intimately. He knows the big city life and the challenges of marriage and career just as well. The script is structured in a way that flows naturally and is easy to follow, compared to similar films that jump back in time in ways that are confusing. The acting is superb, though these aren't the most famous actors for sure, you'll remember them after watching this. The story unfolds slowly and organically. Though it's a relatively long film, there are no wasted scenes. This is what fine traditional filmmaking looks and feels like.

So glad I had the opportunity to experience this lovely film. The story unfolded in a way that really brought me along a journey and the actors, although unfamiliar to me prior, were compelling. Cudos for casting Jay O Sanders and Jill Hennessy as Cole's parents. The approach they took to anchor Cole's backstory really works. In fact, one of the more powerful elements for me was the relationship between Cole and his parents. In particular, I won't forget Jay's powerful performance anytime soon.

In addition to top notch acting, the cinematography is very impressive. The wonderful expansive scenery of rural farmland surrounding a small close knit town contrasted well with dramatic scenes of Washington DC. I found the interplay between locations helped create an ideal context for the story.

Have recommended it to friends and family and suggest readers of this do the same !