By Jeri Jacquin | November 4, 2022
Movies
Jeri
Jacquin
From
director Joshua Caldwell and writer Stephen Camelio along with ArtImage
Entertainment, August Point Productions and CKM Entertainment is the film
MENDING THE LINE.
Colter
(Sinqua Walls) has just experienced the destruction of war in Afghanistan and
is now going through rehabilitation in a VA facility in Montana. Trying to
gather himself into the man he once was is proving difficult. Under the care of
Dr. Burke (Patricia Heaton), Colter makes it clear that he wants to return to
military service.
Understanding
that her patient needs something to help give him peace, she suggests he meet
with Ike Fletcher (Brian Cox). Fletcher is a grumpy fly fisherman who has no
use for modern technology of any kind and hates the nonsense that goes with
being around a lot of people. The one person he can tolerate is long-time
friend Harrison (Wes Studi).
The
one thing the two men share in common is fly fishing. The graceful and quiet
time becoming centered on one thing, the flowing river and fish in front of
them. When Colter shows up at Fletcher’s door, he is not happy and makes it
very clear. When Fletcher comes around a bit, he tells Colter to sober up and
do recon on fly fishing.
That
sends Colter to the library where he meets Lucy (Perry Mattfeld), a librarian
who has issues and trauma as well. Giving the soldier books on fly fishing, he
becomes intrigued but not so much when Fletcher has him stocking shelves and
doing errands around his fishing business. There is a moment when Colter lets
it be known he has had enough – Fletcher takes him to the river.
It
is at the river that the two men find a connection in the beauty and flow of
the water.
Walls
as Colter is a man who had enduring the physical and emotional trauma of war.
Trying to find peace has been difficult, especially every time he deals with the
struggle of physical therapy, it reminds him of everything. Walls gives the
performance every gambit of emotion one would expect of a soldier returning
from hell. He has tender moments that seep its way in until the truth character
of Colter becomes truly clear.
Cox
as Fletcher has a reputation of being such a consummate actor playing some of
the grumpiest characters that I’d personally never want to mess with. My
favorite currently is that of Logan Roy in the hit series SUCESSION. In this
film, his grumpiness is based in the same mire that Colter finds himself in. It
is only in the river that Fletcher finds moments of peace and now he is sharing
that with another who needs it desperately. Well done Mr. Cox, well done.
Mattfeld
as Lucy is a librarian dealing with her own trauma of losing someone to war.
Meeting Colter sort of sets off a bit of standoffishness but the more she
learns about the soldier, the softer she becomes wanting to help him find the
peace she is also searching for.
Studi
as Harrison is the one man who doesn’t tolerate much from Fletcher. He pushes
for his friend to help Colter and makes a deal that kind of goes wrong – but ends
up being very right. It is good to see Studi on screen again.
Heaton
as Dr. Burke knows that her patient is not even close to being ready to return
to active duty. Knowing that she has one last chance to reach Colter, she turns
to a friend who can understand what is possible for them both. I like Heaton’s
choice of role and it is well done.
Other
cast include Irene Bedard as Mrs. Redcloud, Julian Works as Ram, Chris Galust
as Kovacs, Michaela Sasner as Ruth, Pressly Coker as Blitz, Gabriel Clark as
Blitz Dad, Tristan Thompson as McDowell, Phaedra Nielson as Martha and Josef
Patterson as Death Star.
The
film is the Official Selection of the Wild & Scenic Film Festival, Official
Selection of the Port Townsend Film Festival, Official Selection of Telluride,
Official Selection of IF4, Official Selection of The 41st Northwest
Filmmakers Festival, People’s Choice Award at Banff Mountain Film Festival and Peoples
Choice Winner of the 5 Point Film Festival.
MENDING
THE LINE is a story of faith, hope, pain, suffering, humanity and the peace
that comes with a river. The relationship between Colter and Fletcher starts
out with hardness because each is protecting their own traumas. The only way
that works is if the façade on the outside is tough with sharp edges.
In
the case of both men, it is understandable but it also stops them from being a
part of the larger world. Fletcher knows this to be true since he has been
escaping it the longest but there is something about Colter that intrigues the
elder warrior. There is a coming together that begins to happen and it is based
on the simplest of things that life has to offer.
I
truly enjoy the film and it is because of Cox and Walls, two fine actors who
clearly embraced their characters and found the best and worse both had within
themselves. The healing that happens is truly moving to see on the screen.
In
the end – their healing is on the fly!
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