Moody 'Montana': Haley Lu Richardson, Owen Teague star in a tale of family resentment

Whether it’s meant to or not, the gorgeously mounted “Montana Story” is a sneakily perceptive metaphor for a nation divided against itself, a microcosm of love twisted into bitterness, and the obliteration of the mythical land of opportunity. It’s built upon the doings of estranged half-siblings returning to the rotted rural homestead of their father, who – like democracy – is on life support, to address perceived betrayals and flail at recapturing an idyllic childhood financed at the expense of the land and their Indigenous neighbors. 

It’s both a departure and a continuation of the theme of family dysfunction that defines acclaimed indie filmmakers Scott McGehee and David Siegel. Like “The Deep End” and “What Maisie Knew” before it, “Montana Story'' is an intimate examination of the sins of a parent visited upon their wide-eyed children. In this instance, the duped offspring are Cal (Owen Teague) and his older sister, Erin (Haley Lu Richardson), prodigal children who’ve fled Montana but remain bound there by dark secrets they’ve let fester far too long. 

The wonderful world of 'Downton':Crawley family takes a French escape in 'A New Era'

Cal, a civil engineer from Cheyenne, and Erin, a gourmet chef from upstate New York, have returned to the ranch where they seemingly thrived as children of privilege. Their memories are mixed. They wistfully speak of joyous summers spent with their now aged horse, Mr. T, in the shadows of the majestic mountains framing their dad’s panoramic spread. But those days are gone. Like the machine keeping the old man breathing, the two are operating on auto-control, jaded by an adulthood in which guilt and resentment define both, as they reunite in the comatose presence of the man whose cruel act of violence drove them apart. 

The chill between them is both palpable and intriguing, but you wish McGehee and Siegel hadn’t overly endowed them with exposition. We don’t need to be told the obvious. It’s a rare misstep by filmmakers who redeem themselves with a deeply moving finale in which the arthritic Mr. T arises as an unexpected catharsis. Normally, I’d think that’s revealing too much, but in this case, there’s never any doubt that redemption is the ultimate goal. 

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

That element of predictability further slackens the movie’s inherently meandering pace. But once immersed in the natural beauty of Montana, so elegantly captured by director of photography Giles Nuttgens, time becomes irrelevant. I’d recommend “Montana Story” on the breathtaking visuals alone. But there is much more at play; you just need to look for it. 

At Plimoth Cinema:'Happening' is harrowing, timely abortion drama

McGehee and Siegel cleverly camouflage their political sentiments behind familiar tropes, but the fractured family they depict is clearly us, the American people. At one point, Cal quips that his namesake is Cal Ripken Jr., the all-American legend representing not just steely longevity, but also a bright and unblinking beacon during baseball’s “Steroid Era,” when cheaters prospered at the cost of our trust in fair play. The mere mention of Ripken's name suggests a damning of society’s propensity for cutting corners, precipitating the fix America currently finds itself in. 

The analogy extends to the film’s many people of color, beginning with Ace (Gilbert Owuor), an African immigrant whose duties as a hospice nurse include cleaning up the messes of his predominantly white patients. Servitude also is the lot in life for the film’s three Native Americans: Joey (Asivak Koostachin), the siblings’ close pal and resident fixer; Joey’s mother, Valentina (Kimberly Guerrero), the dying dad’s economically strapped housekeeper; and Mukki (Eugene Brave Rock), the shaman-esque used-truck dealer whose family lives ousted from the “Land of Plenty” stolen from his ancestors. 

'Doctor Strange 2':Haunted-house frights gussied up with Marvel bombast? Count us in.

In the eyes of McGehee and Siegel, they, not the siblings, are the aggrieved, largely denied the promises of riches that have gone instead to unscrupulous men like Cal and Erin’s father, a sleazy lawyer for the mining company that raped the land and poisoned its gullible workers. It is these components, plus the outstanding, heartfelt performances by Teague (“The Stand”) and the egregiously unsung Richardson (“Edge of Seventeen”), that fortify the movie’s hefty emotional impact. Yes, “Montana Story'' takes its sweet time getting there, but in the end, it touches you in unexpected ways, reigning as both a commentary on familial priorities and a scathing indictment of a nation nursing a dubious past glossed over by a story rewritten so many times we no longer know what to believe. 

'Montana Story'

Rating: R for language

Cast: Haley Lu Richardson, Owen Teague, Gilbert Owuor, Kimberly Guerrero, Eugene Brave Rock and Asivak Koostachin

Directors: Scott McGehee and David Siegel

Writers: Scott McGehee and David Siegel

Runtime: 114 minutes

Where: Plimoth Cinema on May 27

Grade: B+

Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. Please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Patriot Ledger subscription. Here is our latest offer.