Jeri Jacquin
Making resounding rounds on the film festival circuit from writer/director Ari Selinger, Moontown Productions and Wise Child Studios based on a true story is the house ON THE END.
Living on an end road called Navy Beach in Montauk is auto mechanic Tom Ferriera (Tim Blake Nelson) and his brother Milton (Matthew Maher). Spending his day fixing cars, at night he deflects loneliness by going on internet chat rooms. A moment of happiness comes when Freckles (Mireille Enos), an internet interest, decide to come to Montauk to meet him. Next door is Aunt Trudie (Lois Smith), or “Crusty” as Tom calls her, who recently lost her husband and one sunny day a knock at her door is Jessica Finch (Anna Chlumsky), a realtor who convinces Trudie that she can make a large sum of money by selling. Excited, she takes the listing but knows that there is one problem – Tom.
His front yard looks like what you’d expect a mechanics to look like but it does nothing for the property value. Venting to police officer husband John (James Badge Dale), he comes up with an idea of how to help her along and legal issues begin. A court day is upcoming but it is not about to stop Tom from meeting up with Freckles – not even a diabetic incident. After a brief hello, he is absolutely enchanted by the outspoken and fiery woman. Having dinner together face to face, there is no place to hide their stories about each other’s lives, or Tom’s living situation. Yet, getting past that quickly, they manage to find a bit of happiness together. That is not going to slow Jessica or her husband down or stop tormenting Tom and his business.
It is Tom who decides that he has had enough of being pushed around and that feeling is pushed by love and loyalty to promises made to his father. Now, it’s time to put it all on the line and even get help from the most surprising person of all.
Nelson as Tom is a mechanic who loves where he lives, no matter how it looks on the outside. Taking care of his brother is important and even the tension between he and Aunty next door is family ridiculousness we all live with. Finding Freckles is the most joy he has found in a very long time and Nelson portrays that so beautifully. Gruffy on the outside but heartfelt on the inside, what people mistake for being standoffish is Nelson’s character being protective of his world and those he wants in it. What an astounding role and just tender from beginning to end.
Enos as Freckles comes right on into the film with a bright smile, shining eyes, and an attitude that can’t be hidden by any look on her face. I loved that about her character instantly. Although she may be surprised by Tom’s surroundings, once she accepts it is what it is, it is almost as if Freckles just doesn’t see it anymore. Of course, it could be said she did that for a place to stay but I took a Freckles attitude and didn’t care about that reasoning anymore. The ease of her fitting in even with Milton was so charming. I have to admit, Enos’s character taking on Aunt Crusty had me in stitches.
Chlumsky as Jessica is a desperate realtor looking for a big win and seeing an opportunity to coach Aunty into what she wants is ruthless and hard core. Her backhandedness had me throwing styrofoam bricks at the screen in protest of her behavior. Now, let us remember the cute little Vada Sultenfuss from MY GIRL in 1991, the character of Jessica is NOT her but quite the opposite. Nice to see her on the screen again taking on the role of an underhanded person giving real estate people a bad name – well done. Dale as husband John is equally shady and he’s a cop for goodness sake. Believing he can help his wife score a sale, he shows her how to bob and weave through the law to make Tom go away. Dale’s character seems to get a lot of satisfaction making Tom’s life miserable by using a badge, not cool dude.
Shout out to Lois Smith as Aunt “Crusty” Trudie for continuing to be such an amazing actress who I’ve followed for years. Here she portrays a woman who has a complex relationship with Tom and is motivated by anything that keeps him at bay from her. Also, Maher as the brother who hears and sees all knowing when its time to have a say and Desmin Borges as lawyer Austin who has Tom’s best interest at heart but small-town lawyer against big town lawyer can be difficult.
Other cast include Michelle Hurd as Violetta, Glenn Fleshler as Ray, Marcia DeBonis as Judge Malfo, Negin Farsad as Marge Lundie, Raymond Thomas as Rusty, Gabriel Rysdahl as Elias and Sawyer Spielberg as officer Brent Sherman.
Wise Child Studios is dedicated to finding success at the intersection of compelling and commercial with an innovative new production company. Wise Child is also dedicated to producing compelling, thought-provoking and character-driven stories with just the right amount of wit, irreverence, and charm to resonate with a wide audience.
Director Selinger says, “I’ve been making films on the East End of Long Island for over a decade. Beyond the beautiful rural landscapes, the plum-colored skies, the dusty clam shacks, and high-end beach houses, there is something happening under the deeper and more shared American surface, something connected to our mythology. Like some cosmic coincidence, somehow my path crossed with Tom’s…our friendship blossomed. I learned of Tom’s devastating legal battle. I was able to witness first-hand the ordeal and trauma that both Tom and Freckles suffered through.”
“His love for Freckles was abundant and I could see, even in the first moments, that they were inseparable, one and the same, and they would go to the end of the earth to find the pace and happiness they deserved. Tom is a typical hard-working American aggrieved by a society that judges and rejects him. To me he is a blue-collar hero, misunderstood and overlooked. If you give him a fair shake, extend your hand to him as a friend, there is no question he will invite you into his world, which is just a piece of what I hope to share on screen about the world of Tom, my friend.”
It is extremely difficult to follow up after that because it is everything I would want to say about the situation in the film. Tom may be messy on the outside but his gruff is charming and Freckles sees him for what he is. The two of them together make up the most loving yin and yang. Tom is the one who doesn’t say boo and Freckles has no problem shouting it from the rafters and, it works for them. She is the light of his life and he is the protector of her life and I could not get enough of watching them together on screen. Nelson and Enos are stunning portraying these characters and it becomes difficult to not be angry for them when the town beatdown comes. Coming from a small beach town myself, I absolutely understand how it is possible to be overlooked when it comes to what is right. ON THE END is a film that definitely needs to be experienced for its frustrations, love, unexpected surprises and joy.
ON THE END is the Official Selection of the Hamptons International Film Festival, the Woodstock Film Festival, Newport Beach Film Festival and the TIFF Industry Selects 2025.
In the end – sometimes the little guy can stand tall with love!
