Director: R Todd Campbell
Writer: R Todd Campbell (Screenplay)
Starring: Chelsea Bryan, Carol Jean Wells, Joe Fredo, Eric Gebhardt, Isabella Handley, David Rozas, Tracy Miller
Plot: Two runaway sisters find themselves lost in a notorious wilderness, known as a place where people come to end their own lives. Here they must contend with nature, with man, and with their own naivety about the world.
Runtime: 1 Hour 21 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Verdict: Strong Life Lesson
Story: The Mourning Hills starts after the two sisters have lost their father in the notorious suicide forest, both in foster homes now the eldest Mattie (Bryan) helps Kate (Wells) escape as the two run away through the forest.
When the two get separated they bump into two brothers lurking in the forest searching the dead, slowly Kate and Mattie must learn about the difficulties of life from their actions and learn this might not be the best idea to run.
Thoughts on The Mourning Hills
Characters – Kate is the youngest of the two girls, she is telling the story explaining to us about how her life got to this situation, the feelings of unknowing about her father, she doesn’t want to go in the same direction which helps her learn that this might not be the best idea. Mattie is the older sister, a rebellious teenager that thinks she knows best for her sister, the question about her character remains, is she ready for this. We do meet a couple of men who we meet in the forest with their own reasons for being there.
Performances – Carol Jean Wells as our narrator and youngest cast member is good through the film showing the innocence her character requires. Chelsea Bryan as the big sister shows the strengths needed for her character through the film. Tracy Miller and Eric Gebhardt are both good too.
Story – The story here follows two sisters running away from their foster home into the mysterious forest where people go for suicide including their father. We follow the time the sisters spend together as they get to spend time looking at life and the ups and downs they are dealing with and will come up against on this journey. The story gives us a chance to look at life lessons mostly and teaching the lesson about life with be hard and that seems to be the points behind the story.
Settings – The film takes us into the forest with a reputation for the place people go to end their lives. It does have an air of mystery about it.
Scene of the Movie – The moment they split first.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Slightly over long monolog from the man in the forest.
Final Thoughts – This is a good drama that focuses on not running into life too fast because you will miss the important parts and that family must stick together.
Overall: Life lesson on a plate.
Rating
