“Mending the Line” is a simple and sentimental story of combat veterans coming together and healing the wounds of war through fly fishing in Montana. A good cast doesn't make this into any kind of existential epic, since it doesn't transcend any of the genres it mixes. No, it's not "A River Runs Through It."
But PTSD is treated realistically and sympathetically. And the metaphors about fishing and life, the appreciation of fly-fishing as the subject of some of the most sensory and moving sports publications, and the meditative moments in the creek elevate it and make it worthwhile.
Director: Joshua Caldwell
Writer: Stephen Camelio
Stars: Brian Cox, Sinqua Walls, Perry Mattfeld
A prologue tells us how Marine John Colter (Sinqua Walls) came to be in a VA hospital in Montana, healing his broken bones and torn skin, but stuffing himself into a bottle to deal with survivor's guilt over the fateful command decision that he came to make. and lives altered by it.
His doctor (Patricia Heaton) listens to his hopes of "coming home" to the Corps, "the only real family I've ever had." And she sees how little group therapy she is doing to him.
Since she has this cranky old Vietnam vet (Brian Cox) who won't heed his advice not to go fishing alone thanks to his advancing age and failing health, she tries to solve both problems.
Colter is sent to see Old Man Ike to learn how to fish. Ike Fletcher's regular fishing buddy is just as worn. And if you didn't think you needed to see the "Succession" star trading jokes and casts with Oscar winner Wes Studi, you haven't been thinking long enough. Their scenes are a bit backed up, but they don't need a lot of help creating a crunchy yet sweet chemistry.
"It's not a pole, it's a rod...it's not like playing with your fucking phone..." explains Vietnam vet Ike Hendrickson (Brian Cox) as he instructs us in the world of fly fishing; Joshua Caldwell's earnest and effective drama is willing to make the same kind of differentiation. As the title suggests, Mending The Line is a film about the quest for fishing, or specifically the search for escaping fish, but it's also a recovery story that does well to dodge the expected PTSD cinematic clichés and make a few points. well-founded on how we build and rebuild ourselves.
"More excellent literature has been written on fly-fishing than any other sport," Cox intones, but that's hardly an immediate boon for young Colter (Sinqua Walls), who has returned from Afghanistan with considerable physical and mental damage. Unable to return to his military posting, even if he deems it fit for purpose, Colter suffers from group discussions that cause him anxiety and don't help him deal with his own trauma. Meanwhile, elderly fly fisherman Hendrickson needs a partner to help him continue his beloved hobby; Under the watchful eye of a caring doctor (Patricia Heaton), the two men begin to bond...
Although Mending the Line opens with a gruesome combat scene, this is a movie that is unexpectedly kind at heart, with most of the film about the blossoming relationship between two tough and damaged men. Cox is the ideal cast for a substantial role as the gruff veteran, a man so determined that, as one character observes, he "hasn't listened to music since Creedence disbanded in '72." role, wrestling with the guilt of him over events he really had no control over; "I wasn't punished, so I punished myself," he unfairly chides himself.
Written by Stephen Camelio, Mending the Line also takes time to explore the Montana community that forms a relaxing background here; Wes Studi and Perry Matfield stand out as locals who are explored in much more depth than usual. At over two hours long, Caldwell's film is a meditative piece, packed with award-winning performances, but also with a strong point; Hendrickson teaches Colter to throw his catch into the river with the curt comment, "I've killed enough." Without exploiting veterans' issues, Mending the Line is a careful and thoughtful look at the effects of PTSD that also manages to make broader points about how we heal; is an accomplished and emotionally honest film that deserves a wide audience. And for Cox, executive producer here, it's another top-notch performance to sit alongside his stellar work in films like Hidden Agenda and in L.I.E.
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