WILDLIFE: CAREY MULLIGAN AND JAKE GYLENHAAL ARE FAR FROM PERFECT PARENTS
If you had a not-so-perfect childhood (isn’t that MOST people?) the movie Wildlife will bring you back to some very uncomfortable experiences. It’s set in 1960 and pretty housewife Carey Mulligan thinks she’s already over the hill at 34. She and Jake Gyllenhaal’s character have a 14 year old son who watches all their drama unfold, much like YOU did at home. Jake can’t hold down a job and he’s too “proud” to take one beneath him, so he volunteered to fight wild fires threatening his small Montana town, leaving his wife and son to fend for themselves. Lacking job experience, Carey’s practical housewife does what she figures she has to do – she gets a job teaching swimming and starts flirting with a wealthy single older man. The son is tormented by his parents’ actions and you can’t help but identify with him. It’s a wonderful script, beautifully directed by Paul Dano – a must-see if you appreciate sensitive films.
Photo: IFC Films
