Chekhov in Rural America
A gem of a story, reminiscent of a short story by Sherwood Anderson, Richard Ford, Eudora Welty, Raymond Carver, Jim Harrison, or the Irish writer Claire Keegan. There's a surface plainness and apparent accessibility, seemingly easily penetrable.
But small issues of moral choice build up, we see mature feelings wrestle with the idealism of youth.
Characters we thought we could easily understand become more complex. This focus on the seriousness of life goes to the heart of the matter: family loyalty, honor, compassion, forgiveness (and self-forgiveness). "Dreaming' Wild" has a fundamental directness that casts a profound, direct light on the austere interior of the Emerson family.
Its precision and pacing is writerly, it gives the viewer time to think.
Remarkable performances by Casey Affleck, Beau Bridges, Walton Goggins, Noah June, and Jack Dylan Grazer. And Chris Messina.
But small issues of moral choice build up, we see mature feelings wrestle with the idealism of youth.
Characters we thought we could easily understand become more complex. This focus on the seriousness of life goes to the heart of the matter: family loyalty, honor, compassion, forgiveness (and self-forgiveness). "Dreaming' Wild" has a fundamental directness that casts a profound, direct light on the austere interior of the Emerson family.
Its precision and pacing is writerly, it gives the viewer time to think.
Remarkable performances by Casey Affleck, Beau Bridges, Walton Goggins, Noah June, and Jack Dylan Grazer. And Chris Messina.
- Lazzell
- Aug 4, 2023