By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs
"REBUILDING” IS A RESONANT PORTRAIT OF STARTING OVER
Sometimes it takes only a simple act of kindness from a stranger to shift the course of someone's life.
In the new movie
"Rebuilding from director and screenwriter
Max Walker-Silverman ("A Love Song"), Josh O'Connor ("Challengers") delivers a touching performance as Dusty, a wayward cowboy who has lost everything. His Colorado ranch, his pride, and the very identity he built his life around vanish after a devastating wildfire leaves him homeless and hollowed out.
The ranch wasn't just a piece of land; it was Dusty's legacy. His parents, Scottish immigrants, built the home with their own hands.
Dusty kept the property out of devotion as much as duty, even choosing to bury his mother and father in a quiet, sacred corner of the acreage. So, when he walks on the charred grounds and sees only twisted remnants and ash, the heartbreak that washes over him is palpable. For Dusty, the idea of rebuilding feels not only impossible but almost disrespectful to what once stood.
Yet he's not as alone as he believes. It's in the company of other displaced locals, people just as bruised, bewildered, and determined to stay upright, that makes this intimate indie film become something richer than a solitary tale of loss.
Dusty ends up in a temporary FEMA trailer, one of several lined up like fragile lifeboats on scorched land. The place is modest and functional, although the running water is iffy at times and the roof barely gives the promise of nights without rain. Around him swirls a small community of survivors adjusting to their new reality.
Dusty, a man of few words on the best of days, barely musters more than a polite wave to his neighbors. In his mind, he won't be here long. He will pick up and move on… or so he keeps telling himself.
But Dusty's plans change the moment he begins to really notice the people around him, not out of obligation, but quiet curiosity. There's Mali (Kali Reis, TV's "True Detective") and her pre-teen daughter Lucy (Zeilyanna Martinez) also trying to make the best of the bad situation and pick up the pieces.
Two older couples seem the most optimistic about their fates. When they reach out to Dusty he's slowly, pulled into their orbit. Their resilience, humor, and stubborn refusal to give in begin to chip away at his hardened exterior.
Walker-Silverman captures these moments with gentle authenticity, letting small gestures, like a shared meal, a repaired water line, a late-night conversation beneath the stars, speak louder than any grand speech. And O'Connor grounds Dusty with a subtle, lived-in performance that feels honest at every turn.
As the days turn to weeks, Dusty discovers he has more anchors than he realized. His ex-wife, Ruby (Meghann Fahy, TV's "The White Lotus"), has moved nearby to help her mother Bess (Amy Madigan, "Weapons"). Together, they co-parent their daughter Callie Rose (Lily LaTorre, "Runt"), who is frightened by the upheaval but remains determined, rising early to catch Wi-Fi at distant library so she can stay on top of her schoolwork.
Ruby's new boyfriend, Robbie (Sam Engbring, "A Love Song"), fits quietly into the patchwork support system forming around Dusty.
As the community begins piecing their lives back together, "Rebuilding" evolves from a portrait of grief into a meditation on connection. It's a film that believes in second chances but never suggests they come easily.
Walker-Silverman allows the Colorado landscape to mirror Dusty's journey. Yes, it is scarred but still standing and still capable of beauty. By the time Dusty finally accepts help and offers some in return, the moment feels deeply earned.
"Rebuilding" is a tender, quietly powerful story about starting over and, more importantly, about the people who can help us do it.
Editor's Note: Be sure to catch my N2Entertainment.net movie talk segment on the Kitty O'Neal Show Fridays now at 5:17 p.m. and 6:47 p.m. on radio station KFBK 93.1 FM and 1530 AM.
Watch This Trailer For
"REBUILDING"
