WILDLIFE

US, 2018, 104 minutes, Colour.
Cary Mulligan, Jake Gyllenhaal, Ed Oxenbould, Bill Camp.
Directed by Paul Dano.


Wildlife, as a title, does not communicate the mood and meaning of this impressive, rather small-scale, drama. The title comes from a novel of 1990 by Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Richard Ford. While the novel was published in 1990, the setting for walk and film is 1960, outback Montana.

This is a story of a family, beginning very cheerfully, father and son, Jerry (a sympathetic Jake Gyllenhaal, even when he is exasperating), Jenny (a powerful performance by Cary Mulligan) and son, Joe (Australian Ben Oxenbould through whose eyes we see the action). Jerry and Joe pass and kick the football, Jenny prepares the meal, Jerry goes off to work at a golf club, Joe going to help him.

Jerry is fired. To his surprise and dismay, the reason given is the that he is too friendly with the players at the club. He thinks about getting a job, mopes around, sits in his car, stands on his pride when the club offers him his job back. Jerry is stuck in that American (universal) image of what it is to be a man, stand his ground, and his living, be reliable. To Jenny’s surprise and upset, and to audience surprise, he volunteers to go out into the mountains to fight the fires whose smoke the audience has seen hovering in the background.

Jerry does not think there will be a crisis. However, Jenny is quite upset, his action and her challenging him about it beginning to undermine the years together, reminding her of the vitality she had when she was young. Joe, who doesn’t say much but whose character is communicated most effectively by Ben Oxenbould’s body language, facial expressions (and lack of them), alert eyes, does not want his father to leave. He has told his father that he is no good at football. However, he does get a job at the photo studio in the town and becomes dependable and expert. He also befriends a young girl, a student from school.

Joe then has to watch the deterioration of his mother, the positive about her getting a job coaching swimming, the negative about her pretending to get a job at a car sales, benefiting by her coaching the owner, an older man his wife has left him, in swimming. Audience tension will be aggravated by what Jenny says and does, dressing up glamorously, lying to Joe, taking him to dinner at the house of the businessman – and the consequences. Enormous pressure on a 14-year-old boy who loves his mother and his father.

Jerry returns from the fires expecting everything to be as it was. It isn’t, provoking Jerry to act irresponsibly. Where can the drama go? Can the parents rediscover their love? What can Joe do?
The ending is left open to the audience, their understanding and appreciating of each of the characters. However, there is a very fine symbol for the end of the film, not closure of the story – it involves Joe at his work at the photographers, a photo.

Ben Oxenbould and director Paul Dano resemble each other physically. Dano has often performed in melancholy roles (Little Miss Sunshine, Pierre in War and Peace) and brings a sense of melancholy to this screenplay which is written with his partner, Zoe Kazan. They had previously co-written another telling small drama, Ruby Sparks.


1. The title, the tone?

2. The writer, the strong cast?

3. A small American film, independent? Recreating 1960? Montana, the town, homes, the countryside, the fires in the mountains, the seasons? The musical score?

4. A film about the American family, the family unit, a strong past, challenging situations, change? Pride, love? Leading to the deterioration?

5. The action seen from the perspective of Joe? Audience empathy with him? Sharing his observing? His age, love for his parents, puzzled about what was going on, his feelings, coping? The conflict in affection? The challenge from his mother’s behaviour? His father’s action?

6. The opening, playing football, father and son, mother, cooking the meal, happiness and the home?

7. The portrait of Jerry, moving to Montana, playing football with his son, his job at the golf course, pleasant, judged too friendly with the clients? Fired? His resentment, turning down menial jobs, sitting in the car, moody? Being offered his job back, too proud to go back? The situation with the fires, looking at the men, being hired, his decision to go? The farewell?

8. Jenny, in herself, the years of the marriage, memories of her past and vitality, the moves, trying to settle in Montana? The impact of Jerry’s decision, attacking him? Interview for the job, pleading, becoming the swimming coach and enjoying it, Miller as one of her students? The issue of the dealership, her lying about her working there and Joe going and finding her not present? The dressing up, the invitation to the dinner, Joe accompanying her, her drinking, Joe invited to drink? The ambiguous reactions, the decision to leave, going back into the house, the kiss? The relationship with Miller, his absent wife, his wealth? In the car with Joe, going home and Joe driving? Joe glimpsing Miller in the house and the affair with Jenny?

9. Jerry, his absence, the phone calls, Jenny driving Joe into the mountains, the site of the fires, the images of fire, resentment towards Jerry?

10. Joe, football, not being picked for the team, not liking football? The girl, friendship, sharing? Getting the job in the photo studio, persevering, his achievement? More responsibilities? Reaction to Miller, upset, talking with his mother?

11. Jerry’s return, the effect, his finding out the truth, his anger, confronting Miller and his violence? Joe upset? Miller withdrawing the charges?

12. Jenny, the decision, to take an apartment, going back home to Oregon?

13. Joe, dealing with situation, staying with his father? His eagerness for his mother’s visit? Her arrival, taking them to the photo studio, setting up the chairs, the final image with the family sitting in the photo together? What future?

14. The small film, but insightful, empathetic?