‘Omaha’: Heartbreaking, vulnerable and something everyone should see

Editor’s note: This is an editorial piece. An editorial, like a news article, is based on fact but also shares opinions. The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and are not associated with our newsroom.

SALT LAKE CITY — There are films that entertain you, and then there are films that stay with you long after you have left the theatre. “Omaha” is the second kind.

I first saw the film at the Sundance Film Festival, and I saw it again during its wide release. The film hit even harder the second time around. That alone should tell you everything.

The film opens with a father waking his kids up to go on what they think is a fun road trip. The father, who is only ever called Dad, loads his two young children and their golden retriever into their old car that frequently breaks down throughout the trip, and they set out across America.

We don’t know why. The children don’t know why. And that is exactly the point. Nine-year-old Ella begins to sense that something is wrong, while 6-year-old Charlie is just along for the ride, delighting in gas station snacks and motel swimming pools.

As an audience, you are placed right alongside those kids — in the back seat, watching Dad’s face in the rearview mirror, trying to read what he isn’t saying.

As a parent myself, it’s always hard to figure out what the best thing is for our children. Are we making the right choices? Sitting in that Sundance audience, I was blown away with the acting — not only by the lead actor John Magaro, but by the children as well.

Magaro says so little, and yet you feel everything. He is a man carrying the full weight of the world — quietly skipping meals so his kids can eat, forcing smiles so they can still feel the magic of the trip — knowing he was going to have to do the hardest thing a loving parent could ever do looms over him.

As a parent watching him, I recognized that look. The one where you are holding it all together on the outside while everything inside is falling apart.

Dad’s stress and anxiety will start to influence you, and even though this is not an action film, you will begin to tense up and your heart will start pounding.

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Ella (Molly Belle Wright) and Charlie (Wyatt Solis) are extraordinary. Every time Molly Belle was on camera she stole the scene. At no point did I not believe she was a loving daughter trying to help her dad make it through his panic, fear, and uncertainty. That is not easy for any actor, let alone a child, and she is remarkable.

Filmmakers always say that working with children and animals makes for a hard time on set. All I can say is that whatever Director Cole Webley did to bring those elements together, it worked.

There is a scene involving the children and their dog that hit me hard. You never want to break your children’s heart — every parent knows that feeling — but as a dog lover as well, I was in tears.

This is a road trip film set against the backdrop of the 2008 economic crisis, and it captures something true about that time in America — families losing their homes, losing their security, not knowing what comes next. But it never feels like a history lesson. It feels deeply personal.

If you were alive during that time, or if you have ever watched someone you love struggle to hold everything together, this film will find you.

Webley, in his feature debut, shows a remarkable patience and confidence. He lets scenes breathe. I often say to filmmakers that not every scene needs to be filled with dialogue. It takes guts, understanding, and trust from the writer, director, and actor to make that work — and in this film it worked.

In those silent moments, Magaro emitted love, shame, disappointment and sadness with his eyes and purposeful movement. He trusts the landscape — the wide open skies, the long empty highways, the golden light of the American West — to do as much storytelling as the script.

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There is a beauty to this film that sneaks up on you, and a guitar-based score that fits every moment without ever overpowering it.

I will not tell you where they are going or why. That is a story for the film to tell. What I will say is that I watch a lot of movies, and at no point did I expect the ending.

I legitimately covered my mouth with my hand and leaned forward in my seat as the story unfolded. That does not happen to me often.

“Omaha” is not a film about despair. It is a film about love — imperfect, complicated, enormous parental love — and what it looks like when someone is doing their absolute best in an impossible situation.

You will not agree with every decision Dad makes. But you will understand him.

I love a film that makes you want to go learn more about the subject when you walk out of the theatre. Believe me when I say that when I got home, I started Googling.

“Omaha” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to well-deserved praise and has been winning hearts at festivals around the world ever since.

I was lucky enough to be in that Sundance audience and walked away certain it was something special. Seeing it again last week confirmed it.

When a film hits you harder the second time — when you already know what is coming and it still gets you — that is something. This type of film reminds me why I love films and why movies matter.

“Omaha” (A) Rated PG-13 for thematic material. Starring John Magaro, Molly Belle Wright, Wyatt Solis, Talia Balsam. Directed by Cole Webley. Written by Robert Machoian. Studio: Kaleidoscope Pictures/Greenwich Entertainment. Running time: 1 hour and 23 minutes.

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