Montana Story

Last updated

Montana Story
Montana Story.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by
Screenplay by
  • Scott McGehee
  • David Siegel
Story by
  • Mike Spreter
  • Scott McGehee
  • David Siegel
Produced by
  • Scott McGehee
  • David Siegel
  • Jennifer Roth
Starring
Cinematography Giles Nuttgens
Edited byIsaac Hagy
Music by Kevin Morby
Production
company
Big Creek
Distributed by
Release dates
  • September 12, 2021 (2021-09-12)(TIFF)
  • May 13, 2022 (2022-05-13)(United States)
Running time
113 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$292,916 [1] [2]

Montana Story is a 2021 American drama film written and directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel. Starring Haley Lu Richardson and Owen Teague, it about siblings returning to their family's ranch in Montana after their father falls into a coma. [3]

Contents

It was released in the United States on May 13, 2022, by Bleecker Street.

Plot

Estranged, twenty-something, half-siblings Cal and Erin return to the vast Montana ranch they once called home after their father has fallen into a coma and is now on life support. Erin's mother died in childbirth, while Cal's mother died two years ago. The housekeeper and family friend, Valentina, has been holding down the fort. Kenyan immigrant nurse, Ace (a nickname he uses since people in the United States have trouble pronouncing his real name) has been providing life-sustaining care to the siblings' father. Since their father isn't expected to recover, Cal begins selling and donating the ranch's assets. He has conflicted feelings towards his father, due to past abuse. Erin, who remains angry about the abuse, plans to take the family's elderly horse, Mr. T, back to her home in Hudson Valley, New York.

Cal explains to Ace that, seven years ago, his father was a lawyer who helped cover up a toxic incident at the Copperhead open-pit mine. Erin wrote an article that was published in a local paper, exposing the corruption. Their father violently assaulted her and killed her horse, Pepper. Erin ran away from home that night. Cal tried to track her down, but she actively avoided being found and he eventually stopped looking.

Cal tries to open up to Erin, telling her about his life in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and his goal to be a civil engineer. However, she remains closed off. She decides to purchase an old truck and horse trailer to transport Mr. T, though Cal worries about the reliability of the truck. The seller, Mukki, tells Erin that he's Mohican and his family fled west over time to avoid violence.

The truck breaks down on the road, and the siblings wait for Valentina's son, Joey, to arrive with a tow truck. Erin tells Cal that she's a trained cook who now works in a restaurant that uses every part of the animal. The siblings visit the Copperhead Mine, which Erin compares to the seven circles of Hell in Dante's Inferno . She also meditates on the deceptiveness of the American West's mythology.

During a thunderstorm and resulting power outage, Cal struggles to get a back-up generator working. Since the life support system is down, the siblings' father suffers a heart attack. Ace struggles to keep his patient alive, enlisting Erin to manually pump a bag valve mask to keep her father breathing. After the power returns, Erin is upset that she has saved her father's life. She emotionally confronts Cal about him witnessing their father beating and severely injuring her to the point of hospitalization. She berates him for having not helped her in any way. Cal admits he was afraid to intervene and still feels guilty.

Later that night, when Cal thinks he's alone, he talks to his father about the older man's lack of happiness in life. Erin watches from the doorway as her father flatlines and dies. It's not shown, but heavily implied that Cal disconnected his father from life support. Ace covers for Cal, saying the death was due to the heart attack that occurred during the power outage.

As the siblings go their separate ways, Erin asks Cal to keep in touch and he agrees to do so. Instead of taking Mr. T with her, Erin arranges for him to live on Mukki's ranch with a herd of other horses.

Cast

Production

The film was shot in Paradise Valley south of Livingston, Montana during a period of six weeks from November to December 2020 under strict COVID-19 protocols. [3]

The film premiered in the Platform Prize section at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 12, 2021. [4] [5] In November 2021, Bleecker Street acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film. [6]

Reception

In the United States and Canada, the film earned $17,284 from four theaters in its opening weekend, [7] and $19,882 from 24 theaters in its second weekend. [8] After expanding to 290 theaters, it made $98,762 in its third weekend, [9] and $25,953 in its fourth. [10]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 87% of 88 reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Montana Story takes a gut-wrenching look at family trauma, brought brilliantly to life by Haley Lu Richardson and Owen Teague." [11] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 73 out of 100, based on 22 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kate Hudson</span> American actress and singer (born 1979)

Kate Garry Hudson is an American actress and singer. She has received various accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a nomination for an Academy Award.

<i>The Wizard</i> (1989 film) 1989 film by Todd Holland

The Wizard is a 1989 American family film directed by Todd Holland, written by David Chisholm, and starring Fred Savage, Jenny Lewis, Beau Bridges, Christian Slater, and Luke Edwards. It was also Tobey Maguire's uncredited film debut.

<i>Erin Brockovich</i> (film) 2000 film by Steven Soderbergh

Erin Brockovich is a 2000 American biographical legal drama film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Susannah Grant. The film is a dramatization of the true story of Erin Brockovich, portrayed by Julia Roberts, who initiated a legal case against the Pacific Gas and Electric Company over its culpability for the Hinkley groundwater contamination incident. The film emerged as a critical and commercial success at the box-office.

<i>Are We There Yet?</i> (film) 2005 film by Brian Levant

Are We There Yet? is a 2005 American family road comedy film directed by Brian Levant. It was written by Steven Gary Banks, Claudia Grazioso, J. David Stem and David N. Weiss based on a story by Banks and Grazioso. Ice Cube stars alongside Nia Long, Jay Mohr and Tracy Morgan.

<i>College</i> (2008 film) 2008 movie

College is a 2008 American comedy film starring Drake Bell, Andrew Caldwell, and Kevin Covais and directed by first-time director Deb Hagan. It was released on August 29, 2008, by MGM. The story follows three high school seniors, who spend the weekend visiting Fieldmont University for freshman orientation, and get involved in various antics. The film was panned by critics and grossed $6 million worldwide against its $7 million budget.

<i>Dear John</i> (2010 film) 2010 American film

Dear John is a 2010 American romantic war drama film directed by Lasse Hallström, based on the 2006 novel of the same name by Nicholas Sparks. It follows the life of a soldier after he falls in love with a young woman. They decide to exchange letters to each other after he is deployed. The film was released in North America on February 5, 2010, by Screen Gems, and received mixed to negative reviews.

<i>Sibling Rivalry</i> (film) 1990 film by Carl Reiner

Sibling Rivalry is a 1990 American black comedy film directed by Carl Reiner and starring Kirstie Alley, Sam Elliott, Jami Gertz, Bill Pullman, Carrie Fisher, and Scott Bakula.

<i>A Nightmare on Elm Street</i> (2010 film) American supernatural slasher film by Samuel Bayer

A Nightmare on Elm Street is a 2010 American supernatural slasher film directed by Samuel Bayer, written by Wesley Strick and Eric Heisserer, and starring Jackie Earle Haley, Kyle Gallner, Rooney Mara, Katie Cassidy, Thomas Dekker, and Kellan Lutz. Produced by Michael Bay and Platinum Dunes, it is a remake of Wes Craven's 1984 film of the same name, as well as the ninth overall installment of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. The film is set in a fictitious town in Ohio and centers on a group of teenagers living on one street who are stalked and murdered in their dreams by a disfigured man named Freddy Krueger. The teenagers discover that they all share a common link from their childhood that makes them targets for Krueger.

<i>Going the Distance</i> (2010 film) 2010 American film

Going the Distance is a 2010 American romantic comedy film directed by Nanette Burstein, written by Geoff LaTulippe, and starring Drew Barrymore and Justin Long. It follows a young couple who fall in love one summer in New York City and try to keep their long-distance relationship alive when the woman heads home to San Francisco.

<i>What Maisie Knew</i> (film) 2012 American drama film by David Siegel and Scott McGehee

What Maisie Knew is a 2012 drama film directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel and written by Carroll Cartwright and Nancy Doyne. Starring Julianne Moore, Alexander Skarsgård, Onata Aprile, Joanna Vanderham and Steve Coogan, it is a modern adaptation of Henry James' 1897 novel What Maisie Knew. The film finds six-year-old Maisie in the middle of a custody battle between her neglectful parents and their new partners.

<i>On Chesil Beach</i> (film) 2017 British film

On Chesil Beach is a 2017 British drama film directed by Dominic Cooke and written by Ian McEwan, who adapted his own 2007 Booker Prize-nominated novella of the same name. It stars Saoirse Ronan and Billy Howle and tells the story of virgins, Florence and Edward, and their first disastrous attempt at having sex on their wedding night. The initial experience and their differing responses to the failure have lifelong consequences for both.

<i>Licorice Pizza</i> 2021 film by Paul Thomas Anderson

Licorice Pizza is a 2021 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. It stars Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman in their film debuts, alongside an ensemble supporting cast including Sean Penn, Tom Waits, Bradley Cooper, and Benny Safdie. Set in 1973, the film follows the relationship between a teen actor (Hoffman) and a directionless young woman (Haim).

<i>Mr. Malcolms List</i> 2022 American period drama film

Mr. Malcolm's List is a 2022 historical drama film directed by Emma Holly Jones and written by Suzanne Allain, based on her novel of the same name. It stars Freida Pinto, Sope Dirisu, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Ashley Park, Zawe Ashton, and Theo James.

<i>After Yang</i> 2021 American film by Kogonada

After Yang is a 2021 American science fiction drama film written, directed, and edited by Kogonada. It stars Colin Farrell, Jodie Turner-Smith, Justin H. Min, Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja, and Haley Lu Richardson. It is one of the final feature films scored by composer Ryuichi Sakamoto before his death in 2023. The plot follows a family's attempts to repair their android son after he becomes unresponsive, and can no longer assist their adoptive Chinese daughter. It delves into themes of memory, death, loss, and humanness.

<i>Firestarter</i> (2022 film) 2022 film by Keith Thomas

Firestarter is a 2022 American science fiction horror film directed by Keith Thomas, from a screenplay by Scott Teems, based on Stephen King's novel of the same name, and a remake of the 1984 film of the same name. The film stars Zac Efron, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Sydney Lemmon, Kurtwood Smith, John Beasley, Michael Greyeyes, and Gloria Reuben. It is produced by Jason Blum and Akiva Goldsman under their Blumhouse Productions and Weed Road Pictures banners, respectively, alongside BoulderLight Pictures and Night Platform.

<i>Redeeming Love</i> (2022 film) 2022 American film by D. J. Caruso

Redeeming Love is a 2022 American Christian Western romance film directed by D.J. Caruso, who co-wrote the screenplay with Francine Rivers. The film is based on Rivers' 1991 novel of the same name, which was based on the Biblical story of Hosea, and is set in the American Old West during the California Gold Rush. It stars Abigail Cowen, Tom Lewis and Logan Marshall-Green.

<i>Cyrano</i> (film) 2021 film by Joe Wright

Cyrano is a 2021 romantic drama musical film directed by Joe Wright and produced by Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, and Guy Heeley, from a screenplay written by Erica Schmidt, based on Schmidt's 2018 stage musical of the same name by Schmidt, Aaron Dessner, Bryce Dessner, Matt Berninger, and Carin Besser, itself based on the 1897 Edmond Rostand play Cyrano de Bergerac. The film stars Peter Dinklage, Haley Bennett, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and Ben Mendelsohn.

<i>Infinite Storm</i> 2022 American film

Infinite Storm is a 2022 American drama adventure film directed by Małgorzata Szumowska, co-directed by Michał Englert, and with a screenplay by Josh Rollins, based on the article "High Places: Footprints in the Snow Lead to an Emotional Rescue" by Ty Gagne. The film stars Naomi Watts, Billy Howle, Denis O'Hare, Parker Sawyers and Eliot Sumner.

<i>Father Stu</i> 2022 American film by Rosalind Ross

Father Stu is a 2022 biographical drama film starring Mark Wahlberg as Stuart Long, a boxer-turned-Catholic priest who lives with a progressive muscle disorder. The film is written and directed by Rosalind Ross in her directorial debut. The film was produced on a budget of $4 million.

<i>A Love Song</i> (film) 2022 American film by Max Walker-Silverman

A Love Song is a 2022 American drama film written, directed, produced, and co-edited by Max Walker-Silverman in his feature directorial debut. It stars Dale Dickey and Wes Studi as two childhood friends who spend a night together by a lake in the mountains. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2022, and was released in the United States on July 29, 2022, by Bleecker Street and Stage 6 Films. It received positive reviews from critics and was named one of the Top 10 Independent Films of 2022 by the National Board of Review. It received two nominations at the 38th Independent Spirit Awards.

References

  1. ↑ "Montana Story". Box Office Mojo . IMDb . Retrieved June 26, 2022. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  2. ↑ "Montana Story". The Numbers . Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  3. 1 2 Fleming, Mike Jr. (December 16, 2020). "Scott McGehee & David Siegel Quietly Shot Drama 'Montana Story' Through Pandemic". Deadline. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  4. ↑ Galuppo, Mia (August 11, 2021). "Riz Ahmed to Head Jury for Platform Competition at Toronto International Film Festival". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Montana Story". Toronto International Film Festival. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  6. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (November 3, 2021). "'Montana Story' Lands U.S. Deal At Bleecker Street After Toronto Film Festival Premiere". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Domestic 2022 Weekend 19". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  8. ↑ "Domestic 2022 Weekend 20". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved June 4, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Domestic 2022 Weekend 21". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved June 4, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Domestic 2022 Weekend 22". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved June 7, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Montana Story". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Montana Story Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.