Causeway
One of the things I heard from co-workers after I came back from my hospitalization was that my GM at the time said, “Brian will not be the same when he comes back.” At the time, I didn’t necessarily agree with that, but honestly, it was absolutely true. When you go through a traumatic event, you are going to be different on the other side, whether you agree with that or not. The question is, do you want to accept that change and see where it leads you, or do you want to shoehorn reverting to the norm back in, whether that’s what’s best for you or not?
“Causeway” is about a woman who, faced with a trauma, would rather return to what was comfortable, even if the opportunity for further pain happens, than face the reality, and possibility, in front of her. The screenplay by Luke Goebel, Ottessa Moshfegh and Elizabeth Sanders is very conventionally structured, so there’s a good chance you’ll see some of where Lynsey’s (Jennifer Lawrence) story is headed, but the wonderful work by Lawrence, Bryan Tyree Henry and the cast in general elevates it to a level of compassion that is exactly what this type of film is built for. I really love when that happens.
We first see Lynsey when she is being discharged from an Army hospital in Nebraska. She is put into the care of Sharon (a beautiful, memorable performance by Jayne Houdyshell), who works with soldiers transitioning back to normal life after traumatic injuries on the front lines. Lynsey is pushing herself- she wants to re-deploy as soon as possible- and hopes to spend as little time in the real world as possible. But she can’t put off going home to New Orleans for long. Her mother (Linda Emond) forgot she was coming in early, and is surviving, but not really a lot of help to Lynsey. Of more help is James (Henry), a mechanic who has been through a traumatic event as well.
Jennifer Lawrence is someone who is brilliant at conveying both strength and anxiety at the same time- it’s one of the reasons her performance in “mother!” was so galvanizing. Here, there’s a little bit of a return to the messy charisma she had in “Silver Linings Playbook,” but this is ultimately about her heart, and how her head is getting in the way. In her head, she needs to get away from New Orleans and her family, because she views that as more destructive than what could happen to her is she re-enlists. She talks about her brother in the past tense, but not for the reason we initially think. When James (another lovely performance by Henry, one of my favorite actors right now) calls her on it, we learn the truth, and it leads to a revelation on her part, and probably the most impactful scene in the movie in how beautifully it’s acted.
Director Lila Neugebauer understands what a film such as “Causeway” requires to land its emotional punches, and her and the actors deliver it. Over the years, I find myself fully engaged by films that, while they don’t have anything particularly complicated to say, say things clearly, and in a way that moves me. This film isn’t re-inventing the wheel, nor does it need to in order to deliver its emotions in a way that resonates with me.
