THE STORY – After a wildfire takes the family farm, a rancher seeks a way forward.
THE CAST – Josh O’Connor, Lily LaTorre, Meghann Fahy, Kali Reis & Amy Madigan
THE TEAM – Max Walker-Silverman (Director/Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 95 Minutes
It’s hard to look forward to anything when everything you hold near and dear to your heart vanishes in an instant. So when you have no choice but to push ahead…where do you start, and who do you start with? Max Walker-Silverman (“A Love Song“) digs into the very real suffering so many have gone through and are currently experiencing with his subtle but effective drama “Rebuilding.” Though the film dives into devastation and immense loss, Walker-Silverman never overdoes the drama; instead, he takes a very naturalistic approach to how one man and his community pick up the pieces of their lives one day at a time. It may not be showy in its filmmaking or story, but “Rebuilding,” particularly Josh O’Connor’s quiet performance, will move you in more ways than one.
Glowing embers illuminate a black sky, mystifying the viewer, until the screen cuts to a horrific scene: A desolate landscape with blackened matchstick trees still standing. A young rancher named Dusty (O’Connor) finds himself in the middle of it all after he loses his home, which includes a bright blue barn and all the photographs and mementos inside. With no place to call his own, he has to sell his cattle at an auction, though the disappointment on his face tells us how much this pains him.
We get snippets of Dusty’s life before this tragedy occurred. At some point, he lived on his ranch with his ex-wife Ruby (a soulful Meghann Fahy) and younger daughter Callie-Rose (Lily LaTorre, an absolute gem), but something along the way shattered this family. There’s no animosity between the exes, but one can tell Ruby got tired of how Dusty seemingly gave up and didn’t show much drive for his closest ones. It’s evident when Dusty begins seeing Callie-Rose regularly, and she shows little to no affection toward her father. Being a rancher is the only thing Dusty knows how to do in life. Therefore, he’s willing to go and work on his cousin’s ranch several states over rather than stay close to his daughter.
Until he’s ready for that move, he receives a temporary place in a trailer park with other displaced people. He takes the word “temporary” very seriously – he doesn’t bother to unpack the boxes in his trailer or ask for water service to be hooked up. He’s a bit of a loner. But his walls slowly start to come down when he meets people in similar situations. They’ve probably also been as stubborn as him, but they’ve all been able to move on from their past horrors, including Mila (Kali Reis), whose husband died in the wildfire.
Sometimes rebuilding takes shape by literally building what’s been lost, and sometimes it’s by rebuilding what we’ve lost within ourselves, as Walker-Silverman’s delicate script portrays so beautifully. It’s Dusty actually spending some quality time with his daughter, which clearly means the world to her, even if it’s just to do some homework. It’s him joining the small but mighty trailer park community (played by non-professional actors) when they have dinners and seeing Callie-Rose make friends. And it’s his former mother-in-law Bess (a lovely Amy Madigan who needed more screen time) reminding him, “You got what you got,” and that he better make it count with what he has left. It’s all elevated by O’Connor’s understated but impactful performance, which keeps the whole film grounded in a relatable degree of emotion that can be felt in every frame. He is able to convey so much anguish with just a simple glance and never lets the performance get carried away with any forced dramatic antics. To do so would do such a disservice to a film that so beautifully captures the human spirit.
On that same note, Walker-Silverman showcases a wonderful sense of setting and community in “Rebuilding,” which, in many ways, line up with Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland.” Cinematographer Alfonso Herrera Salcedo frequently shows the serene mountain views and nearby devastation, evoking an emotional response each time, and it’s contrasted with the dusty, sprawling field where the trailer park is located. At the same time, the park is filled with such warmth from the people living there. You feel as though you’re sitting by the fire with them when they have a cookout and as though you’ve known them your whole life when they crack jokes and dance with each other. It’s all thanks to Reis and the others, who form a bond that feels so real, like everything else in this film. Walker-Silverman also tactfully shows the poverty levels of this part of America, where people have to drive out to the public library to utilize free WiFi from the parking lot, and they have to be ready to hit the road whenever FEMA tells them their time is up.
Though “Rebuilding” might not contain ultra-gripping on-screen drama for some viewers, it’s all about the quiet, humane moments that make this movie shine. Walker-Silverman has helmed another heartwarming story that captures what it means to be human, what is most important in trying times, and how to pick up the shattered pieces around us. Rebuilding is never easy, but when you’ve got the right people by your side, it is possible to find the courage to start again.
