I am a sucker for three themes – 1) those involving teenagers, 2) those involving mental illness and 3) those involving surviving in the wilderness. Leave No Trace is a powerhouse movie which combines all three elements. This indy gem was directed by Debra Granik, previously best known for directing Winter’s Bone, (aka the movie that put JLaw on the map and got her cast in the Hunger Games franchise).
The movie involves a teenager (Thomasin McKenzie, amazing) and her Dad who are living off the grid – in a tent – in a public park in Portland OR. The two are adept at surviving in the wilderness, supplementing what they grow/forage with modest purchases or black market trades from Dad’s disability payments. The Dad, sorrowfully and soulfully played by Ben Foster, is a veteran who suffers from mental illness (PTSD). When they are discovered by authorities, complications ensue.
I love movies, such as A Quiet Place and Captain Fantastic, with minimal dialog, in which the story is advanced by actions instead of words. Most of the movie consists of shots of the father and daughter traipsing through the woods. The ties that bond parent and child are strong. Mental illness is heartbreaking. These two truths ultimately collide. The story is simple, yet beautifully told, building slowly toward its inevitable and devastating conclusion.
Note that as of January 2019 Leave No Trace was available to stream for free on Amazon Prime.
The Judge 