Set in rural Pennsylvania, Deb Callahan’s (Sienna Miller) life is changed forever when her teenage daughter mysteriously disappears. Deb is left to raise her young grandson and navigates the trials and tribulations of subsequent years until a long-awaited discovery of the truth is revealed.
Sienna Miller has long been one of our most underrated actresses, her filmography filled with sideline roles in glossy prestige films (“Stardust,” “Foxcatcher,” “American Sniper”) and lead parts in bland fare (“Casanova,” “Factory Girl,” “Burnt”). She possesses the uncanny ability to elevate any project she’s in with her charisma and elegance, yet Miller’s time to truly showcase her chops has long been overdue. Director Jake Scott and screenwriter Brad Ingelsby generously provide her with ample opportunity to do just that in their latest drama “American Woman,” a raw character study that brings to mind “Manchester by the Sea” (incidentally also produced by Ridley Scott, Jake’s father) with its bleak setting, a stellar ensemble cast, scenes that vacillate between quietly pensive and fervently emotional, and an ending that hints at redemption but doesn’t tie everything up neatly. “American Woman” can get messy, but even when it stumbles, it does so with such vigor and determination, its flaws end up accentuating its beauty. Life, after all, is messy – especially for women, especially in this country.
And it doesn’t get much messier than Debra’s (Miller). A young mother to the sullen Bridget (Sky Ferreira) and grandmother to Bridget’s toddler child Jesse, she barely makes ends meet by working at the local grocery store. Allegedly having “slept with half the men in Delaware County,” she’s clearly traumatized by a past relationship, masochistically self-destructive. “Don’t wait up,” she tells Bridget on her way out of their shabby home to meet a married man. Her voice of reason, older sister Katherine (Christina Hendricks) – who lives across the street with husband Terry (Will Sasso) and mother Peggy (Amy Madigan) – reprimands Debra for her frivolous behavior, but Debra remains facetious – until tragedy strikes. One night Bridget goes missing, leaving Debra alone with little Jesse. Jesse’s stoner father Tyler (Alex Neustaedter) has no idea what happened to her. An investigation ensues, along with search parties, yet they yield no results – it’s as if Bridget vanished into thin air.
The film boldly leaps forward in time to years later, with Debra not having quite recovered from the tragedy, commemorating her daughter’s disappearance by sending off a flurry of balloons into the sky every year on Bridget’s birthday. She now lives with the abusive, suspicious “hemorrhoid” Ray (Pat Healy). “You’re not gonna marry him, are ya?” Jesse (Aidan McGraw) asks hopefully. “I’m not marrying anyone,” she replies determinedly. Debra’s demeanor has changed: she is taking courses, her fashion style’s become more sophisticated and she’s become less harsh to Katherine and Peggy. Teeth clenched, she’s resolutely trying to overcome her past. Redemption may come in the shape of Chris (Aaron Paul), a seemingly decent friend of Katherine’s. What happens in the film’s final act, I’ll let you discover – let’s just say that the past resurfaces, and Debra may have no choice but to physically break away from the shackles of her suffocating existence.
Any film would be lucky to boast a couple of standout sequences. “American Woman” is chockfull of powerful scenes – and the radiant Sienna Miller ignites every single one of them. She gets drunk waiting for her married boyfriend to come and comfort her, then storms into his home, and eventually ends up in a car accident. She stands her own against the cruel Ray, kicking him out of her house after a particularly violent spout involving spaghetti. She reconnects with Jesse’s father on a pair of swings, in a quiet, heart-rending moment. It’s a carefully-calibrated, highly nuanced performance, both fragile and tough, introverted and explosive, conveying sorrow and resilience. Watching the cynical Debra gradually attain warmth and wisdom is a thing to behold. Her misfortunes represent the plights of so many contemporary women – American or otherwise – and Miller does justice to their struggles. You won’t be able to take your eyes off her.
The rest of the cast keeps up. Christina Hendricks delivers a soulful turn, her Katherine gentle and supporting; the sisters’ chemistry sparks. Aaron Paul doesn’t show up until about halfway through the film but leaves an indelible impression as the guy you WANT to trust, completely and utterly. Will Sasso has his shining moment delivering a poignant wedding speech. Jumping through time – and through each phase of Debra’s grief – the director skillfully navigates each sequence, if coming a bit too close to suffocating us with its relentless assault of adversity. The vivacity of the lead, goodwill of his characters, and intermittent sharp wit go a long way dragging us out of the murk. Cinematographer John Mathieson captures the beauty in the melancholy, along with every nuance of every gesture of every character, both central and minor.
“American Woman” reiterates the importance of kindness and family. It’s about grief, achieving closure, persevering against all odds and not getting bogged down by the shit end of the stick. Bolstered by an unforgettable central turn, Jake Scott’s feature is certainly an early contender for one of 2019’s best films. At the very least, its lead now deserves mention amongst the greats.
In select theaters Friday, June 14th
