The Reel Review
After a wildfire destroys his home in southwestern Colorado, a divorced cattle rancher trying to rebuild his life is forced to find new purpose, reconnecting with his ex-wife and young daughter in the process. Josh O’Connor, Amy Madigan and Meghann Fahy (Drop, The White Lotus) star in this poignant neo-Western drama.
On the heels of his 2022 romantic Western A Love Song, writer/director Max Walker-Silverman again paints an emotionally moving portrait of loss and ultimately hope, as the stoic Dusty, forced to sell off his remaining livestock, ekes out a living as a road construction crewmember while living in a tiny FEMA trailer park along with others left homeless from the wildfire. Like his prior film, Walker-Silverman’s sense of community, rich character development and gorgeous vistas are all reminiscent of the 2020 Oscar-winner Nomadland.
O’Connor and an also always good Madigan as his mother-in-law give achingly heartfelt performances about the disorienting aftermath of personal tragedy. For those with the patience to stay with this tender, intentionally slow-moving story, Rebuilding is filled with subtle, impactful moments and has a lot to say about the resiliency of the human spirit. Walker-Silverman is making a name for himself in this genre. It will be interesting to see what he comes up with next.
REEL FACTS
• Rebuilding was filmed in Colorado’s San Luis Valley, which has experienced several wildfires since being destroyed in the 2019 Spring Creek Fire.
• Max Walker-Silverman grew up in Telluride, Colorado and attended Stanford University and NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. He says his screenplay was inspired by his grandmother who lost her home in a wildfire.
• Walker-Silverman says Josh O’Connor suffered frequent allergies to the animals during filming, but “was really lovely and would power through it.”
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