Famous country songwriter, Harlan Howard, once said that country music is “three chords and the truth.” He spoke about how the reason country resonates with him is the emphasis placed on how the best songs are often ones about reality, about the life experiences that inform everything about the singer. That phrase shows up in the new British film, Wild Rose, as a tattoo on the arm of the lead, Rose-Lynn Harlan (Jessie Buckley), but it’s not just a mere nod. The spirit behind that quote is oozing from practically every frame of the picture.
Rose-Lynn is a young Scottish woman in her early 20s, just leaving prison after a year long sentence, and going back to her Glasgow home, where she has two children waiting for her, along with her mother, Marion (Julie Walters). Marion has been watching the kids for so long, and given the age of the children, a five year old son and eight year old daughter, they have found themselves more attatched to their Granny than their mom, who goes through an entire chunk of the film being treated almost like a stranger in her own home.
But there are other things in Rose-Lynn’s mind. She dreams of being a country star, having sung for a band at her local bar since she was only 14. She has the voice for it, but issues with her personal life hold her back, such as the responsibility for the children, the ankle monitor that forces her to be back at home after a certain time, her duties as a house cleaner for the wealthy but kindhearted Susannah (Sophie Okonedo), as well as her hardened, and pushy personality on top of all that.
The film, which is written by Nicole Taylor, and directed by Tom Harper, does a wonderful job at balancing the two modes the film is operating on. One is the kitchen sink drama, a gritty and realistic look at a flawed mother trying to make things work, despite obstacles constantly showing up. The other is the rousing, coming-of-age musical. Not a musical in the traditional sense, of course, but we get numerous performances of Rose-Lynn showing off her talents as a country vocalist. This balance allows us – as an audience – to see Rose-Lynn as a more complex person than these movies typically allow. You spend a lot of time disapproving of Rose-Lynn’s actions, as she often ignores the needs of her kids, throwing them onto her mother instead, so she can continue perusing music. And yet, you don’t hate her, in fact, she is almost immediately endearing, and easy to root for, despite the misgivings that the film clearly wants you to have.
At the center of it all is Jessie Buckley, who is just excellent. She plays on so many layers, given the nature of her character, and she goes from tough to vulnerable to crass to somber to defeated to determined, often in the blink of an eye, or a glace to a character, or even in a quiet moment all to herself. It’s an astounding performance, a star-making one if I’ve ever seen one. The rest of the cast is solid as well, especially Julie Waters, who is always great, but the film rests purely on the shoulders of Buckley, and she knocks it out of the park.
Wild Rose can be considered formulaic, and it very much is, but it’s the kind of film that can take a formula, breathe life into it, and explore it in a way that is full of heart and verve. The closest comparison to the style of the film is probably Coal Miner’s Daughter (which is really good, and you should totally see if you haven’t). It’s a near perfect realization of the movie it wants to be, and the results speak for themselves. It’s incredibly moving, deeply thoughtful in how it handles themes of regret, ambition, privilege, and the pursuit of your dreams while needing to face reality, is so well done. I was almost immediately charmed by the film, and compelled by Buckley’s character and screen presence, and of course, the music is also really good. Wild Rose is an absolute gem, and one that deserves an audience, just as much as Rose-Lynn does.