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.

Another mediocre movie made almost unbearable to watch because of the fake vocal fry voice of Alisa Allapach.

Why oh why do these B and C list actresses insist on faking that silly juvenile voice?

The story wasn't up to much, pretty predictable from 20 mins in as to the way it would go. Nothing new here. Extremely annoying though to listen to that fake voice which in the end I muted whilst she was speaking. A real turn off for me.

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.

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.

Excellent story, I assume, based on a personal experience...Nice intertwining of friendships and family with good acting and an understandable plot that leaves you with the very real sense of self - being true to yourself. Small town living in a farming community has as many challenges as any big city life; if not more. The actors portrayed their characters very authentically - very real. Very glad I turned this on; just what I needed to see this evening - a sad yet positive outcome of a LIFE/lives and the choices we make for better or worse that lead us on to another chapter of our lives and what success means to each. I felt the father of Cole could have been a better selected role but all things considered? He did an ample job of the guy who settles for less due to circumstances; often doing the honorable thing instead of following his true choices for a life.