A Review of ‘Homestead’: A promising concept burdened by slow pacing and heavy-handed execution
A mountain farmer struggles to accommodate war refugees on his property while facing trouble from inside and out.
‘Homestead’: A fair portrayal of the building of a paradise amid hell
Cast: Neal McDonough, Dawn Olivieri, Susan Misner, Jesse Hutch, Bailey Chase, Currie Graham, Kevin Lawson, Olivia Sanabia, Kearran Giovanni, Alireza Mirmontazeri, Tyler Lofton, Ariel Llinas, Manny McCord, Grace Powell, Lincoln Hoppe, Colby Strong, Jarret LeMaster, Ivey Lloyd Mitchell
Critic’s Rating: 2.5 Stars out of 5
Director: Ben Smallbone
Duration: 1 hour, 50 minutes
Genre: Drama, Adventure
Language: English
Release: 2024
What’s it about?
A mountain farmer struggles to accommodate war refugees on his property while facing trouble from inside and out.
Review:
Homestead provides an interesting but only partially satisfying story of sanctuary from war and how much of collaboration it takes to keep it going. This microcosm of a functional world takes humanity, co-operation, trust and cohesion while avoiding violence, fear and selfish agendas. This sometimes moving and inspiring drama appears to signify the old adage: United We Stand, Divided We Fall. Though the narrative is uneven and many scenes seem forced, the film in the end manages to convey the theme of survival and complex human interaction in the face of adversity. This movie is unique insofar as depicting hope, morality and resolve against an apocalyptic scenario where resources are scarce and desperation runs rampantm, but the problem here is, that it tests your patience in getting the message through.
Following a nuclear attack in coastal Southern California, supposedly perpetrated by terrorists, Evie McKnulty (Susan Misner) and her three children flee their home and head for the Rocky Mountains. Nestled in this picturesque range is refuge in the form of Ian Ross’ (Neal McDonough) Homestead. This is a self-contained property which boasts lodgings, fish-ponds and orchards among other facilities to aid the survival of dozens of inhabitants. Ian contracts an old associate - Jeff Eriksson (Bailey Chase) and his wife Tara (Kearran Giovanni) - to arrange security with a team of former military operators. While power outages, civil disorder and inflation grip most of the country, some of Ian’s old friends - like Rick Baumgartner (Jarret LeMaster) and his family - show up at his gate. But the morally-conflicted man is reluctant to let them in. Meanwhile, Ian’s compassionate wife Jenna (Dawn Olivieri) is even more overwhelmed by this dilemma.
Soon, threats arrive at Homestead’s doorstep in the form of a crooked bureaucrat (Currie Graham), while a barn is anonymously set ablaze. These occurrences worry Jeff who compels Ian to have all the dwellers train to competently protect the property. Ian, in turn, gets Jeff’s soldiers to lend a hand with tending to the cattle and crops. Jeff’s son Abe (Tyler Lofton) who strikes up a friendship with Ian’s daughter Claire (Olivia Sanabia), volunteers for guard duty to ensure that hunters don’t cross Homestead’s perimeter. This leads to a dangerous encounter leaving Abe guilt-stricken from its outcome. Meanwhile, the place’s grain go-downs become vulnerable and Jeff finds himself at mounting odds with Ian, while Evie (who is Jenna’s sister) arrives with her family. After a violent face-off, it is up to Jenna to reverse Homestead’s dismal fortunes. But is she up to the task and will everyone else have something to bring to the table? Plus, will split families be reunited?
Drama, emotion and adventure blend fairly convincingly in this film thanks to the efforts of the screenwriting trio of Philip Abraham, Leah Bateman and Ben Kasica. However, the story’s separate threads seem disjointed while Jenna’s voice-over narratives are few and far between. A small redeeming factor is sincere performance from almost every actor and captivating camera-work. They compensate for the film’s shortfalls. But some confrontational scenes, and others depicting emotional redemption, lack the impact they should have had. Also, Ben Smallbone’s direction is heavy-handed at times.
In the course of the journey that this film takes the viewers on, some might be reminded of such movies as The Mosquito Coast (1986) and Contagion (2011). Homestead poses the question whether idyllic alternatives to dystopian or apocalyptic scenarios actually exist. There is of course, always some amount of trouble in paradise. Yet, to what extent is it in our hands as human beings to mitigate the downsides of such an existence? And can the belief in a power greater than ourselves aid us in this quest? Through the mouth piece of the resilient and resourceful Jenna, one gets the sense that spirituality infuses this tale. And if nothing else, this film’s bevy of protagonists try hard to invite the audience in joining them and they only succeed in parts.
