Movie critics often get things so wrong. This movie is a perfect example. If you read what other reviews say, you’ll see they love the fact that two great character actors got leading roles. You’ll read that it’s great that an older couple can have a romance for once. You’ll read about how lovely the scenery is. Folks, all these things have been done before. So this minimalist movie isn’t breaking new ground.
Many are comparing it to Nomadland (easily the most overrated movie of 2020). This reminded me of so many films, all that were done better – The Yellow Handkerchief in 2008 (William Hurt, Eddie Redmayne, Kirsten Stewart); Diane in 2018 (Mary Kay Place), The Tomorrow Man in 2019 (John Lithgow, Blythe Danner), Lucky in 2017 (Harry Dean Stanton’s last movie), and it makes Nomadland feel like the Fast and the Furious. And that’s a shame, because it does have two leads (Dale Dickey, who first blew me away in Winter’s Bone 22 years ago) and Wes Studi.
This is the debut feature from Max Walker-Silverman, and he’s working with a shoestring budget. It’s filmed in Colorado on a campground. We watch as Faye (Dale Dickey) wakes up to bird chirps, identifies them, before rolling out of bed to eat the latest crawfish she’s caught in the lake. She owns two books. One for day time (about birds), one for night (about astronomy). It’s nice to watch her looking at the stars, and us looking at her sad face, wondering just what brought her to this place in her life.
She has an old transistor radio, and apparently no cell phone, because she’s relying on some old school Pony Express system to bring a letter, letting her know if an old friend will be stopping by for a visit. We know she’s waiting on a romantic interest, because when she hears knocks on her door, she fixes her hair; and when a young girl and her cowhand family ask her if they can move the trailer, she said that she can’t because somebody is meeting her there. The scene is cute and feels like something out of a Coen brothers movie.
There’s a lesbian couple (Benja K. Thomas, Michelle Wilson) that are staying at a nearby camping spot, and they sometimes hang out. I’m guessing that’s showing us how Faye envies a younger couple in love.
Just as Faye has had enough of waiting, Lito, (Wes Studi,( shuffles in with flowers. It’s lovely to see them catch up, but not like long-lost friends quickly filling each other in what’s happened since they were last together. We slowly hear bits of their backstory, and it’s nice. We find out Faye is a widow, and since we know how much she’s been waiting for him, we really start rooting for things to pick up. When they both pick up guitars and duet the Michael Hurley song “Be Kind to Me” – it’s just perfect. Yet right about after that moment, the film becomes inert. Nothing really happens. Dialogue is sparse. When we hear stories, it’s about a grandmother that watched Westerns and ate ice cream cones every day (who doesn’t, girl?!). It’s as if Walker-Silverman is relying on gorgeous cinematography and great actors to carry a story. You still need a script.
The movie just doesn’t have enough happening. It has touching and tender moments, and was a sweet way to show how music can help heal wounds, or provide the perfect song for any moment. Faye even says when she found love, she finally understood what all those songs were about.
My wife and I both wished this movie had a bit more, so I can’t give it more than 2 stars out of 5; yet since the best moment was the duet of folk singer Michael Hurley, I thought I’d end with the lyrics to that song – Be Kind To Me:
Told you once and I told you twice/Why be mean when you can be nice?
Come on, be kind to me!/Can’t you see I’m in misery?
I hardly feel like a mustard seed/’cause your love is what I need
Come on, be kind to me/Can’t you see I’m in misery?
I’m the ace of hearts and she’s my queen/The best old girl you ever seen.
Come on, be kind to me/Can’t you see I’m in misery?
I told you child, when you were 16/I wanted you girl, to be my queen
Come on, be kind to me/Can’t you see I’m in misery?
A bullfrog sitting on a lily pond/And I was holding her in my arms
Come on, be kind to me/Can’t you see I’m in misery?
I call you on the telephone/Tell me why you’re never home
Come on, be kind to me/Can’t you see I’m in misery?