‘Rebuilding’ is constructed out of sturdy material
With “The Mastermind” and “The History of Sound,” Josh O’Connor is enjoying the finest year of his career. And it only gets better with “Rebuilding,” a laid-back-to-a-fault neo-Western in which he plays a rancher who’s lost all but might still have much left to gain.
It’s the creation of Max Walker-Silverman, the writer-director who debuted three years ago with “A Love Song,” a similarly leisurely paced slice of life in which the iconic Dale Dickey memorably reunited with an old flame in the stark, but beautiful, Southern Colorado wilds. Clearly, Walker-Silverman is a faithful lamb in the if-it-ain’t-broke congregation, given that “Rebuilding” covers much of the same territory, geographically and narratively.
He does flip from a lonely, grieving woman in her 70s to a lonely, grieving man in his 30s. He also moves the location from near Telluride to the southeastern corner of the Rocky Mountain State, where all evidence of civilization has been consumed by a raging wildfire. Many of the victims have left, leaving behind only the heartiest of souls, still clinging to hopes of resurrecting their shattered lives.
Among them, O’Connor’s Dusty, a third-generation cattleman digging from beneath ashes so deep that, “There are things we lost that I’ll never remember (having).” No wonder he looks so hangdog. It’s about to get even worse when the bank refuses to loan him the cash he needs to restore his home, barn and livestock. The soil, they say, is so damaged that he won’t be able to grow feed on it for as long as a decade. And all the nice lady from FEMA can do is lend him and the other survivors makeshift mobile homes, but only for a few months.
In a snap, God’s country has transformed into a purgatory in which Dusty’s only options are joining a local road crew or heading to Montana to hire on as a ranch hand. But fear not, redemption is on the way in the form of reconnecting with his estranged young daughter, Callie-Rose (Lily LaTorre), and through finding deliverance in the camaraderie of his neighbors in the FEMA trailer park.
Predictably, many kumbaya moments ensue. And much of it doesn’t ring true. But O’Connor’s performance does. You fully buy into his portrayal of Dusty as a modern-day Gary Cooper, strong, silent, resilient, never complaining. He’s so admirable, you can’t help but wonder why in the heck his ex, Ruby (Meghann Fahy), divorced him. Or, why Callie-Rose is so cold when she comes to live with him for a week or two.
I suspect that, unlike us, they can’t see past the laconic exterior and into the heart of an old softie errantly obsessed with carrying on the family tradition more than shepherding his own herd. Ruby’s mother, Grandma Bess (Amy Madigan, superb as always), sees the cut of his jib. So does Mila (Kali Reis), the single mom in the trailer across the way. Both quietly cheer him on as, out of necessity, he struggles to reinvent himself.
The majority of Dusty’s journey is communicated sans words, which makes O’Connor’s presence even more invaluable. He’s an actor who thankfully realizes less is more. It’s uncanny how much he’s able to say through expressive eyes and posture. There’s genuine feeling there, especially as Dusty and Callie-Rose inch closer toward reconciliation. And without his dynamic presence, “Rebuilding” would undoubtedly collapse.
I also appreciate the subtle way Walker-Silverman repeatedly damns our ineffectual government, from its seriously flawed disaster relief to its inability to provide wi-fi access to kids like Callie-Rose, who must camp outside the local library, often past sunset, to do her homework. As with the similar “Nomadland,” these are people who’ve been abandoned and denied their shot at the American dream. And don’t get me started on how ignoring climate change is exacerbating the severity of wildfires like the one that’s put Dusty in this awful fix.
Looking out for the forgotten little guys is undoubtedly Walker-Silverman’s mission statement and with two films under his belt, he’s succeeded at calling attention to the loneliness of the elderly in “A Love Song,” and now, the independent farmers and ranchers who pols like to hold up as our finest asset, yet rarely miss a chance to screw over. Such as forcing them to bear the consequences of these ridiculous tariffs.
But like I say, his assailments are strategically discreet and do little to diminish the power of a movie that has nothing but affection for guys like Dusty, who somehow find the strength to move ahead, even when everything behind them has – literally – gone up in smoke.
Movie review
Rebuilding
Rated: Not rated
Cast: Josh O’Connor, Lily LaTorre, Meghann Fahy, Kali Reis and Amy Madigan
Director: Max Walker-Silverman
Writer: Max Walker-Silverman
Runtime: 95 minutes
Where: In theaters Nov. 14 (limited), going wide Nov. 21
Grade: B
