“Evergreen” defied my expectations at least twice during its runtime; but this alone isn’t what makes it such a remarkable picture. Not since the film “London,” starring Chris Evans and Jessica Beil, have I seen a movie that drills down the nitty gritty of relationships so well. No, not the good parts – though they are there – and not even the bad parts, which are also there. But the idea of it, the ‘thing’ that makes an onscreen representation, that makes two actors driven by dialogue and direction by another person, seem to have an authentic relationship. “Evergreen” makes you feel that you are watching a real couple. Its other achievements, of which there are many, pale in comparison to this unmistakable feat.
This is a movie, like the aforementioned “London,” or David Gordon Greene’s remarkable “All the Real Girls” that doesn’t focus on meet cutes and romantic gestures, but paints its canvas of love with real conversations and hardships which make these people more than characters, but real individuals. Their names are Gena and Paul, and are played flawlessly by Amanda Maddox and Tanner Kalina, written to near perfection by Kalina himself, Joe Duca (who also directs), and Marshall Kistner. This is a relationship film through and through, 99% of it taking place with little save tough conversations between Gena and Paul. Two other actors find their way into the mix: David Bianchi and Olivia Grace Applegate, who figure into the film in illusory ways that are better left to the viewer to discover rather than any desperate spoiler this writer could offer.
That “Evergreen” takes place in the Colorado wilderness in a massive mansion at Christmas time – a mansion that quickly becomes too small for the couple as they attempt to work out a number of relationship issues, is only part of this movie’s charm. The house is decked out with a Christmas tree and a plethora of Christian adornments; Paul is a devout Catholic and Gena is anything but. Paul believes that sex should be saved for marriage; Gena lost her virginity long ago. Paul’s not a virgin, was married before in a complicated scenario that works its way into the script in heartbreaking and bittersweet ways.
A conversation that Gena and Paul have over a game of Shuffleboard being one of the hardest; a conversation Gena shares with Paul as the two spend a lazy day in bed being one of the most heartbreaking and sweetest. We feel Paul’s consternation but also feel Gena’s pain as she recounts why, in fact, she is no longer a Catholic. It’s not angst but real, palpable pain. Maddox owns the scene truly; Gena’s confession wouldn’t have worked without her.
Tanner Kalina and Amanda Maddox in a scene from “Evergreen” (The Daffy, 2019).
You might think that a film that runs one hour and 36 minutes and centers on little but this couple’s relationship would be boring, but it’s not. It’s engaging, thoughtful, precise, animated, heated, and, at the end of the day, bittersweet. Oh sure, there’s more to the couple that meets the eye, including such events as fights over their personalities, Paul’s past marriage and a tragic loss, an engagement ring, a promise, tough fights, and conversations over coffee. But somehow director Duca, helming a powerful script, delivers. He directs nearly perfect set pieces, performances, and production value out of this script, which flows as naturally as this fictional couple seems authentic.
At the end of the film, if you don’t feel their pain, their love, their doubt…their ‘thing’ then you’ve missed the point of the entire film. Duca, Maddox, and Kalina mean not to entertain us with drama and bravado, but to merely encourage empathy. We understand this couple, we get their struggle, and, more importantly, we like them. Sometimes we disagree with them and downright feel anger toward them. But they’re real and we get it. It’s a testament to the filmmaking and dialogue that their connection flows as naturally as it does.
I’d be remiss not to mention the sweetness and dolor that both Bianchi and Applegate bring to the table. They both have their scenes: Bianchi as he lectures Gena on the power of letting go, Applegate as she serenades Paul softly over a lonely, doleful guitar. By the time these events take place, we, as moviegoers, are hooked. And while the end is bittersweet, and we know where it’s going by the time these happenings occur, Duca makes us believe them as realistic events, not as a neat wrap up to a film he wanted to center around a plot.
“Evergreen” is just a remarkable film. From start to finish it paints its characters and arc so carefully, so cleanly, it leaves little to the imagination and heralds authentic emotion. For an indie, which historically have low budgets, this is a sublime achievement. If you get the chance, do yourself a favor and watch this film; you won’t be led astray.
1 Comment
Yes!!! How you describe their ‘thing’ is so accurate. It’s so special yet so relatable to everyone who has been in a relationship. I haven’t seen a movie that captures this in a long time.