Directed by Cole Webley and written by Robert Machoian, A father conceals the truth about his family’s seemingly spontaneous road trip across the American West. Starring: John Magaro, Molly Belle Wright, Wyatt Solis, Talia Balsam, Emma Keifer, Teo Santos, Janelle Fore and Rachel Alig.
With Omaha, you’re immediately hit with the incredible aesthetic built by Cole Webley and cinematographer Paul Meyers. It’s a pitch perfect match for the tone of Robert Machoian’s writing, it encapsulates all of the melancholy, struggle, pain and love expressed within the script. The visual has an edge of nostalgia, it’s emotionally charged and it portrays that classic road trip feel. Especially when it’s supported by the nicely emotional and subtle score from Christopher Bear. The atmosphere Webley creates is extremely humble, while feeling emotionally complex.
The complexity of the story is definitely brought to life by the performances, especially John Magaro who gives an absolutely heartrending portrayal. A lot of Magaro’s performance is not in the dialogue but in his eyes, he fills those eyes with pain, loss, desperation, and his character’s deep conflict with trying to do what’s best for his children. It’s difficult to watch at first but only hits even harder in Omaha’s final scenes which are shattering.
Part of what makes Magaro’s performance so moving, is how well it’s supported by Molly Belle Wright. The way that she captures the curiosity and awareness of children is excellent. She portrays just how much they can pick up on and that they can sense the emotional distress of their parents quite easily, even if they can’t figure out its source and may blame themselves. Wright gives a performance with an awareness well beyond her years, and manages to achieve the perfect level of emotion and understanding. They’re then well supported in turn by the adorable Wyatt Solis who is too young to grasp what’s going on and just wants to play with cars. As well as a brief by very meaningful performance from Talia Balsam and a sweet touch from Janelle Fore.
Omaha is a timely portrayal of family struggles and mental health. It’s led by terrific performances from John Magaro and Molly Belle Wright, they’re genuinely moving and their heartbreaking quality only grows as the film progresses. It’s shot excellently to match the emotional tone of the film, it moves gradually and purposefully, and it’s thoughtful and poignant. How it connects to the real world with its touch of history before the credits roll only makes it hit that much harder, as Cole Webley‘s debut feature it leaves a lasting impression.
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