Gregory Hope

Afterunhitchinghercamperatalakesideinthemountains,Fayefindsherrhythmcookingmeals,retrievingcrawfishfromatrap,andscanningheroldboxradioforastation.Shelooksexpectantlyattheapproachofacarorthemailman,explainingtoneighboringcampersthatshe’swaitingforachildhoodsweetheartshehasn’tseenindecades.Whenhedoesarrive,LitoandFaye,bothwidowed,spendaneveningreminiscingabouttheirlives,losses,andloneliness.Awhimsicalromance,MaxWalker-Silverman’scaptivatingdebutfeatureshowsan"AmericanWest"fullofquietude,compassion,andintrospection.It’sbothnaturalisticandvaguelysurreal,blurringoursenseoftimeandbeauty,lossandvivacity,thegrandiosenaturalworldandintimatehumanism.CareerperformancesfromDaleDickeyandWesStudibringaninescapablepresencetopeoplewedon’toftenseeportrayedonfilm.Theyaregentleoutlierspossessedofresilienceandexistentialspirit,seekingtoprocesssomethingelusive:afeelingofloveforwhat’snolongerthere.LikeFayeturningherradiodial,theylistenhopefullyforthefainttraceofasong.

After unhitching her camper at a lakeside in the mountains, Faye finds her rhythm cooking meals, retrieving crawfish from a trap, and scanning her old box radio for a station. She looks expectantly at the approach of a car or the mailman, explaining to neighboring campers that she’s waiting for a childhood sweetheart she hasn’t seen in decades. When he does arrive, Lito and Fay...