Jeri Jacquin
Coming to theatres this Friday from director Francis Lawrence, screenplay by JT Mollner, Vertigo Entertainment and Lionsgate is a story from the Stephen King novel THE LONG WALK.
The United States has become a dystopian world under the control of a totalitarian regime that has a yearly contest. Young men are chosen to walk at a designated pace or are removed until only one is left to collect a prize. One such young man is Raymond Garraty (Cooper Hoffman) who is about to leave his worried mother Ginnie (Judy Greer). Immediately Garraty makes friends with Peter McVries (David Jonsson), Arthur Baker (Tut Nyuot) and Hank Olson (Ben Wang).
Before setting off, the Major (Mark Hamill) makes the rules simple but the most important one is – keep walking! Surrounded by military vehicles and weaponized soldiers, the walk begins. Mile after mile, the group keeps it to small talk except for Garraty’s group who try to lighten their situation. Collie Parker (Joshua Odjick) has a stern face and doesn’t say much, Curley (Roman Davis) moves swiftly with Rank (Daymon Wrightly), Gary Barkovitch (Charlie Plummer) can’t help being obnoxious and Stebbins (Garrett Wareing) looks like doom.
Each step the boys take tightens their friendships as they share in the ‘what if’s’ and the possibilities of winning and losing.
Hoffman as Garraty is a young man who has seen his share of heartache but keeps it to himself. Finding friendship in the group of boys becomes the one thing to hold onto with each passing mile. Hoffman gives us a character that is complex, kind, protective and focused. His flow seemed so natural and perfectly paired with Jonsson. Speaking of Jonsson as McVries, he is almost the twin of Garraty in ways and means. He is also clear on the reason to be walking and finds a protective kinship with Garraty and I truly loved watching the two together. Jonsson gives us a character that is a leader without actually realizing he is and that serves his character well.
Nyuot as Baker is thrilled to be part of the group and is the naïve walker in many ways. It is not that he is unaware, he just chooses to see things simpler than most. Davis and Wrightly as Curley and Rank try to stay focused but get wrapped up in emotions that don’t serve them well. Plummer and Wareing as Barkovitch and Stebbins are the thorn to many of the boys on the walk. They test and taunt a bit which, under normal circumstances, would typically be considered normal but, this situation is far from normal.
Greer as Ginnie is a mother who clearly is having a difficult time being separated from her son. Wishing he had made a different choice, Greer gives us the heartache and struggle to let go. Odjick as Parker is doing his best to not becoming part of any clique or friendship group. He has his eyes on the prize and doesn’t want connection with anyone. Odjick’s character says more with his expressions than with words.
Shout out to Mark Hamill as the Major. If you didn’t know it was him you wouldn’t know it was him. Hiding behind large reflective glasses and military uniform, he is the voice that was suppose to encourage but felt more like condescending honest or even teasing with cruelty to me. I am happy anytime I see Luke Skywalker, oh sorry, Hamill on the screen and this role was his chance to be hands-off wicked.
Other cast include Jordan Gonzalez as Richard Harkness, Noah de Mel as Ewing, Thamela Mpumlwana as Pearson, Jack Giffin as Ronald, Keenan Lehmann as Larson, Dale Neri as Percy Grimes, Teagan Stark as Patrick Smith, Sam Clark as Tressler, Emmanuel Oderemi as Zuck, and Josh Hamilton as William Garraty.
THE LONG WALK is probably the closest to the source of Stephen King’s book to be put on film. The amazing part is that he wrote in in 1967 while still in college at the University of Maine. His first completed novel, finally published in 1979 but not under the name of Stephen King but of Richard Bachman. It wasn’t until 1985 when the world would come to know the name of Stephen King (which I like much better).
The film is a gambit of emotions from shocking, to sadness, to feeling a bit uncomfortable listening in on conversations and back to shock again. There is no way to avoid these feelings as the entire film is the boys walking, talking and seeing things no one should ever see or experience. Lawrence may have allowed us to listen in on the conversations but never, ever let us forget for a moment that stopping has consequences.
Keeping the road as a character in the film, the audience doesn’t have to worry what’s on the right or left because the story is right in the middle, right on the road. The cast is absolutely amazing with powerful performances as each actor playing their characters exactly how I would see and hear a group of boys behave with profound skill. It is the violence that is harsh and the choices each young man has to make it absolutely heartbreaking. Well done all around.
In the
end – the task is simple, walk or die!
