From Hiding to Awakening: Review of Leave No Trace (GOOD GOOD)

Leave No Trace, a film directed by Debra Granik and adapted from the novel My Abandonment by Peter Rock is a thoughtful, and painfully tense portrayal of human fragility, loyalty, love between father and daughter, and rejection of conventional lifestyles. The father Will and daughter Tom are living a secretive existence in a public park in Portland, Oregon. Their crude lifestyle consists of tarps for shelter, one tent for sleeping, worn and primitive cooking tools, and themselves for company and conversation. They are almost mechanical in their everyday routine, which includes basic survival, as well as military-like drills to remain undiscovered. Former military, Will functions as team leader of the two, carefully balancing being a father, fighting the demons of his past, and the infrequent yet necessary re-integrations into the real world for supplies. The contrast in these environments is alarming, from the quiet plush vegetative state of the forest to the fast moving high focus images of the city. Their secret existence can only remain undetected for so long, and eventually, they are discovered. Tension builds the balance of the film, as they reintegrate back into society, Will unwillingly, and Tom with careful acceptance. “We can still think our own thoughts,” Will tells Tom. They are inundated with psychiatric evaluations and are forced into a state of self-examination. Will rejects the process, which seems to align with his chosen lifestyle, while Tom quietly reflects on her new interactions and realizes how her life is being shortchanged. In the end, they go their own ways, Tom choosing to remain with like minded people, and Will back to the depths of the woods and isolation, in body and mind.

I “reelly” enjoyed this movie. The constant theme of mystery and tension kept me on my toes, anxious to see it’s resolution. Would it be a happy ending for Will and Tom? Or would they have a falling out and separate? Throughout the film the contrast between solitude and chaos, hiding and discovery was evident. It was a roller coaster ride of emotion, from the first moment we were exposed to the impenetrable relationship of father and daughter in seclusion, to the final moment of separation. One scene that had a significant impact on the film’s transition point and on me was the argument between Tom and Will where he wanted to return to the isolated woods and Tom wanted to stay and live in the community trailer park. In the heat of the argument, Tom yells “What's wrong with you isn't wrong with me!” This is the moment of her awakening - when she realizes she cannot live her father’s life and must live her own. It is her moment of independence, or perhaps her moment of abandonment. Regardless, she embraces her new community and connections, while always keeping connected to her father by leaving food supplies in a tree for him to retrieve. She is unwilling to fully let him go, but also unwilling to compromise on what her future might become. This is a film that sticks with you for a while, questioning your own self-awareness, choices in lifestyle, and relationships. Overall I would rate Leave No Trace a “Good Good” because it is entertaining the whole way through and was very well made. I recommend this film highly to anyone tired of the “blow it up” special effects genre who is looking for a bit of quiet reflection and self-discovery.