A family unravels in 1960s Montana in Paul Dano’s meticulous directorial debut

Entertainment · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: When a father loses his job and abandons his family to fight forest fires, his wife and teenage son are left to navigate the wreckage of their domestic life. This 2018 drama, adapted from Richard Ford’s novel, captures the quiet, devastating disintegration of a marriage through a lens of profound empathy.

Set in 1960 Great Falls, Montana, the story follows the Brinson family—Jerry, Jeannette, and their son Joe—as their stability collapses. After Jerry is fired from his country club position and refuses to seek new work, he becomes obsessed with local firefighting efforts. His absence forces Jeannette to seek employment and eventually pursue a relationship with a wealthy car dealer, Warren Miller. The film meticulously tracks how these adult choices ripple outward, forcing Joe to witness his parents' disillusionment and the eventual dissolution of their union.

Paul Dano’s transition from actor to director was marked by a commitment to exploring dysfunctional family dynamics. Working from a screenplay co-written with Zoe Kazan, Dano sought to translate the emotional weight of Ford’s 1990 novel into a visual medium. The production, which filmed in Montana and Oklahoma, was lauded for its restraint and the performances of Carey Mulligan and Jake Gyllenhaal. Critics noted that Dano’s direction allowed the actors significant space, resulting in a narrative that feels both intimate and devastatingly clear-eyed.

The film received widespread critical acclaim, with many reviewers highlighting Mulligan’s performance as a career-best. It earned nominations for three Independent Spirit Awards and was later selected for inclusion in The Criterion Collection. Beyond the central performances, the film is noted for its sharp cinematography by Diego Garcia and a score by David Lang. By the time the family gathers for a final portrait, the film has moved from the immediate crisis of the Montana wildfires to a broader, more permanent shift in the family's trajectory, leaving the characters irrevocably changed.

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