Synopsis
John lives with his partner, Eric, and their daughter, Monica, in California, far from the traditional rural life he left behind years ago. His father, Willis, a headstrong man from a bygone era, lives alone on the isolated farm where John grew up. Willis’s mind is declining, so John brings him west, hoping he and his sister, Sarah, can help their father find a home closer to them. Their best intentions ultimately run up against Willis’s angry refusal to change his way of life in any way. In his directorial debut, Mortensen explores the fractures and contrasts of a contemporary family. Willis’s abrasive nature, by turns caustic and funny, is aggravated by memory loss, bringing past and present into conflict. As father and son finally confront events that have torn them apart, including their differing recollections of John’s mother, Gwen, we embark on a journey from darkness to light, from rage and resentment to acceptance and hard-won grace.
Metrics
Movie Details
Spain Releases: | October 2nd, 2020 (Wide) |
Video Release: | February 5th, 2021 by Quiver |
MPAA Rating: | R for language throughout including offensive slurs, crude sexual references, brief sexuality and nudity. (Rating bulletin 2661 (cert #53024), 12/23/2020) |
Running Time: | 112 minutes |
Keywords: | Sundance Film Festival 2020, LGBTQ+, Family Drama, Dysfunctional Family, Bigotry, Misanthrope |
Source: | Original Screenplay |
Genre: | Drama |
Production Method: | Live Action |
Creative Type: | Contemporary Fiction |
Production/Financing Companies: | Perceval Pictures, Ingenious Media, HanWay Films, Scythia Films, Zephyr Films Limited, Ontario Creates |
Production Countries: | Canada, Denmark, United Kingdom |
Languages: | English |