Americans have been travelling west since the early 19th century. Many did so with a ‘Manifest Destiny’ purpose. Settlers held this romantic and hope-filled belief in American exceptionalism, and sought to expand and spread their way of life.
It feels poetic that Omaha, set during the 2008 financial crisis. One of the worst economic recessions that directly affected millions of Americans, is about travelling east.
Cole Webley’s directorial debut follows a desperate dad, played by John Magaro (The Big Short, Past Lives). He is forced to pack up his two kids, Ella and Charlie (relative newcomers Molly Belle Wright and Wyatt Solis), and family dog Rex, after his landlord presumably defaults on the mortgage. They drive a busted station wagon that requires two people to push start across Utah – where Omaha premiered at the Sundance Film Festival – and onwards to Nebraska.
Why? We’re not sure. As a mother in a gas station tells nine-year-old Ella, it’s not known for being one of the most exciting of the 50 American states.
Ohama is a quiet road movie. One that forgoes superfluous language and flash in favour of intimate close-ups and natural light, resulting in softly coloured landscapes. I don’t think we miss a sunrise or sunset over the days that unfold on screen. If there is a beautiful moment. Whether it’s Ella dancing with her six-year-old brother Charlie in the car headlights at dusk or flying a kite in the open blue sky above the majestic Bonneville Salt Flats, we don’t miss it.
The one person who does miss out, however, is their father. He seems incapable of cracking a smile for his kids. Or joining in with their revelries as some kind of self-punishment. The reality of their economic hardship and the continuing, crippling grief of having lost his partner and their mother years before is evidently a constant strain. Through his dropped shoulders and passive facial expressions, Magaro expertly holds back just enough to make an impact in the most pivotal scenes.
But it wouldn’t be hyperbolic to call Molly Belle Wright the breakout star of Omaha. Much like her character, Wright is a truly outstanding, precocious actress with natural talent. There are several moments throughout Omaha where she is called to exhibit incredible emotional control that some actresses well beyond her years would struggle with. Wyatt Solis as her playful, loveable younger brother is also perfectly cast.
Underpinning the warm glow of natural lighting and naturalistic action is Christopher Bear’s fantastic score. Unsurprisingly, he was part of indie rock band Grizzly Bear, who celebrated their heyday during the era Omaha is set. Singular piano and acoustic guitars hark back to folksy offbeat music popular in the late 2000s. It fits the stripped-back, heartfelt tone of Omaha perfectly.
However, featured songs like Anna Mieke’s ‘Warped Window’ and Kevin Morby’s ‘I Hear You Calling’ were released in 2019 and 2021, respectively. Omaha’s use of contemporary, anachronistic music allows it to transcend the restraints of its time setting.
Because Omaha might be related to events 17 years ago, screenwriter Robert Machoian is likely all too aware of how relevant a lack of employment, opportunity, and support is to average Americans today. He crafted a succinct tale – the runtime is 83 minutes – about simple subjects. A man trying to do right by his family; an elder daughter who is called to grow up too soon. But it’s a tale he tells with such nuance.
While the ‘road trip’ movie often has themes of freedom and transformation, in Omaha, freedom is something that the characters dream about, but so clearly don’t have. Instead, the film holds itself in an in-between space. The journey is sprinkled with moments of pure beauty, yet there is struggle. Omaha might be poignant and heart-wrenching, but there is a glimmer, nay, a speck of hope.
It’s a triumph to everyone involved, but especially for first-time director Webley. His follow-up to Omaha will be eagerly awaited after creating such a masterful debut as Omaha.
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