The Big Bend Movie Review

“The Big Bend” is an independent movie about some friends visiting from New Jersey into the rugged wilds of the Bid Bend region of Texas. Old college friends are reunited, and two families are challenged with internal (and external) crisis situations. Out where the terrain is rough and the desert is harsh, they find the truth is sometimes harsher…

Driving out in the Texas night, Cory Price (played by Jason Butler Harner) and his wife Melanie (played by Virginia Kull) are going to see old friends. They have their two young girls Olive and Fiona (played by Zoe and Delilah Wagner, respectively). They have stopped to see the mysterious ‘Marfa Ghost Lights’, strange unexplained light on the horizon. Melanie mentions something about talking about “the situation” when they get there. But Cory says he does not want to do that.

They arrive at the remote home of their old collage friends. Mac Talbott (played by David Sullivan and his wife Georgia (played by Erica Ash) have a lot of acreage right up against the National Park land. Mac is always thinking about big plans to get more land and becomes a bigger player in the local tourist economy. But right now, he and Georgia are taking care of their two young boys and barely getting by. But it is good to see old friends…

Cory seems to be acting a little strange, but nobody says too much about it. He bought a very cheap life insurance policy back in collage. Just helping out another friend, he said back then. But now – the term is running out, and Cory is very interested about the ‘accidental death’ option — for some reason. Without telling anyone else — he one day climbs up to the top of a very high cliff — and he ponders… He happens across a mean rattlesnake, and wonders…

Mac and Georgia are out to show their old friends a very good time. But they are hiding the tension in their marriage. Georgia is not pleased with the fact that Mac wants to constantly ‘improve’ all sorts of things, but he is not taking care of the small things that need fixing right now. Like that ancient water heater that is starting to sound like a beast from hell…

Off in the near distance is gruff and disheveled man, working his way through the desert. His name is Karl (played by Nick Masciangelo), and he is being hunted by the local prison authorities. He is shaggy and wild-looking, but he finds an old abandoned shack in the wilds. He can hole up there for a few days and stay off the police radar.

One day, the two guys take all the kids in the Park area for nature hike. Cory wanted to get away from things in New Jersey, and that is why he choose to come and visit. Mac is pleased to have his old college pal, and he wants to help him out if he can. But Mac wants more investors to make his big plans come true. Cory does not have any money to spare. Recent events have been difficult for him and Melanie.

One of Mac’s young boys wanders off and gets up a high rock ledge. The two guys find a way to get him down to safety. But while they were distracted — Cory’s daughter Fiona wanders off a lot further than she should have. Now she is lost in the desert lowlands, and the two guys are totally distraught. Cory stays that night at the trailhead in a small tent. Mac takes the other kids back to his house.

Fiona is off by her herself. But she happens to find an old abandoned shack in the wilds. Yes, it is of course the one that the crazy criminal Karl is staying in. They meet, and he knows she will not survive out in the wild. So now, Karl has an unexpected prison escape partner. Oh Joy! The next day, Karl finds a hidden dirt buggy outside. He fills it with gas, and uses the old ‘duct tape seat belt’ method to strap in Fiona.

Back at the house, everybody is back there now. The ancient water heater is sounding even more evil. Kind of like Chekov’s Water Heater — it will raise some terrible situation before the movie is over. The same thing goes for the shotgun that Mac owns. Since he is so far from polite society, he needs that gun to protect from “wildcats and the weirdoes”. But before the movie is over, this too will return with unforeseen results.

Fiona and her family are reunited. Karl comes over and needs to use the shower. Will the sheriff get over there in time to handle the situation? Will Mac decide to try and be proactive with his shotgun?  Will Georgia give Mac another chance to follow his dreams? Will Melanie come clean about the “the situation” and get Mac and Georgia up-to-speed? And finally, will Cory be able to actually get some use out of that life insurance policy after all?

“The Big Bend” is a fairly entertaining movie, with a few ‘big bends’ of its own. The story takes a couple of difficult personal family situations. But then adds a big dash of craziness by adding in an escaped prisoner on the run. The locations and scenes in the movie are beautifully shot, showing the grandeur of the Rio Grande Valley.

The characters are just a little thin, in terms of development. Jason Butler Harner and Virginia Kull do pretty well portraying Cory and Melanie. Also, David Sullivan and Erica Ash are fine as Mac and Georgia. It’s hard to be too wrapped in the lives of any of them, because there is not much there.

Delilah Wagner does a perfectly capable job playing Fiona. She is equal parts enchanting and annoying. She also happens to be the actual daughter of the Director, Brett Wagner. I’m sure that never entered into the picture when they were selecting the young actor for that role.

“The Big Bend” is a modest piece of work that has beautiful surroundings, and an adequate story.  It is like a gorgeous, classic wood frame around an out-of-focus picture.

Eammon Films will open the film May 17 in LA at Laemmle Royal

May 31 in Austin, TX at Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar

June 7 in Dallas Angelika Cinema & Café Dallas

Friday/Saturday opening night Q&As with Brett Wagner and cast

Additional markets to follow