film review: abundant acreage available

A death can bring out the best in some and the worst in others. Some act as though the moment of truth and reckoning extends beyond the deathbed, which only causes strife amongst the living. This need not always result in explosive confrontations or the revelation of shocking family secrets. When Jesse (Amy Ryan) and Tracy (Terry Kinney) lose their father, neither indulges in behavior otherwise out of the ordinary. However, grief magnifies key differences between the two and threatens to amplify the loss of one relative into a far more significant demise.

Disparities between the two siblings make themselves known from the outset. Operating on the basis of what feels right (emotionally rather than in the hedonistic sense), Jesse takes their father’s ashes out to an empty field for burial. He loved the land and farming, which makes the plot holy enough for his daughter; not so in Tracy’s eyes. A late-comer to faith following a tragic accident, he sees something fundamentally wrong in leaving their father’s ashes in unconsecrated ground. He also wants Jesse to consider selling the farm and retiring, an unfathomable change for her. The arrival of three brothers who lived on the farm as children only complicates their disagreement.

Terry Kinney and Amy Ryan in Abundant Acreage Available

Hans (Max Gail), the eldest and ringleader, has brought along the disabled Tom (Francis Guinan) and the reticent Charles (Steve Coulter) on what appears to be a well-timed and subtle bid to regain their old homestead. When he spins a story about his father’s alcoholism putting the family in financial straits—allowing Jesse and Tracy’s dad to swoop in and purchase the land for cheap—Tracy feels honor-bound to return the property back to its “rightful” owners. Despite a hint of flirtation between Charles and herself, Jesse flat out refuses to consider gifting or selling the farm even as the three siblings linger, camping out on an empty field.

Quiet, character-driven dramas necessarily hinge on the actors’ performances and Abundant Acreage Available benefits from the solid efforts of all five players. Mr. Kinney infuses a touch of sincerity into Tracy’s religious pontifications that almost makes him sympathetic. Messrs. Gail, Guinan, and Coulter play off one another very well, making it easy to believe that they have indeed spent the last fifty-ish years as one unit. The film opens and closes on Tracy, with whom its sympathies seem to ultimately lie. Ms. Ryan carries the emotional heart of the story with aplomb. By turns stoic and temperamental, she captures a moving portrait of a woman asked to abandon her grieving process far too soon.

While Martin Scorsese gets prominent billing as an executive producer, this is nothing like a stereotypical Scorsese film. The script by Angus MacLachlan is a touch uneven in places, although his directing is assured throughout. Abundant Acreage Available has the pleasant distinction of leaving some room to breathe and think, rather than leaning too heavily on the melodramatic pitches of family drama. And much like the five siblings at its core, we can all benefit from a touch of introspection with regards to those we love.

RATING: ★★