Wildlife

This screening took place on Tuesday, February 5, 2019 at 8:30 pmYukon Arts Centre

In his striking directorial debut, Dano joins a canon of filmmakers who have explored the meaning, and the cost, of the American dream. Collaborating with co-writer Zoe Kazan, Dano chooses for his version a coming-of-age story, set in the postwar American Midwest and told through a feminist lens. When Jerry Brinson (Jake Gyllenhaal) loses his job, his family looks for work of their own. His wife, Jeannette (Carey Mulligan), awakening her fiery spirit and charm, convinces the local YMCA to give her a job as a swimming instructor. Meanwhile, their 14-year-old son, Joe (Ed Oxenbould), lands a gig at a local photography studio. Too prideful to look for work in town, Jerry joins in fighting the nearby wildfires. Adapted from Richard Ford’s novel of the same name, Carey Mulligan delivers one of her finest performances of her career. Warning for mature themes. “A small-scale gem with a haunting final image, Paul Dano’s debut feature Wildlife is the story of a 1960s family quietly imploding.” ~ Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times