Reading the description of this film, you could easily write it off as a superficial "Hallmark" drama. However, several factors make this a special movie going experience. "Mending the Line" deals with military veterans recovering from PTSD by participating in a therapeutic experience like fly-fishing. It features the superb filmmaking of director Joshua Caldwell, who's an avid fisherman. Stephan Camelio, a regular contributor to "Field and Stream" magazine, wrote it. Additionally, the superb cast helps elevate the film above other similarly themed movies.
Sinqua Walls ("White Men Can't Jump") stars as John Colter, a young officer in the U. S. Marine Corps. Brian Cox plays his usual role as a grizzly old recluse, which he does here to perfection. And rounding out the leads is Native American actor Wes Studi, known for memorable performances in films like "The Last of the Mohicans," "Dances with Wolves," and the recent "A Love Song."
The film opens with Colter hanging out with his fellow soldiers on duty in Afghanistan. Their spirits are high because their tour of duty is almost over, and they're about to be shipped back home. One of the men is soon to be married and they're all looking forward to attending the big event. In spite of this, Colter accepts one last mission, even though their replacements could handle the task. As expected, their venture doesn't go well, and all his men are killed in battle except Colter. This tragic event triggers his long road to recovery.
Colter ends up at the V. A. hospital in Livingston, Montana. There he undergoes both physical and mental rehabilitation. He seems to be rock solid and well on his way to recovery. However, the flashbacks of his horrific experiences, and the remorse for the loss of his men take their toll on him. We witness him lashing out during a group therapy session and at Dr. Burke (Patricia Heaton), who's in charge of him. It soon becomes apparent that his desire to return to active duty isn't going to be fulfilled anytime soon.
At Dr. Burke's suggestion, Colter meets with Ike Fletcher. Ike is a Vietnam veteran and a recovering alcoholic who lives by himself. He's a grumpy loner and it's apparent that his life is devoted to fly-fishing-his form of therapy. Colter has been hitting the bottle heavily and when he shows up at Fletcher's home, he's met with, "You've been drinking," and a door slamming in his face. Eventually, Ike agrees to take him under his wing, but not before he does some reading up on the sport of fishing, and apprenticing at the local fishing shop, owned by Harrison (Studi). Harrison is a gregarious, funny guy who plays off Ike's grumpy personality nicely.
To fulfill his reading assignment, he pays a visit to the town library. There he meets Lucy (Perry Mattfeld) who recommends he read Hemmingway's "The Sun Also Rises." After the couple realizes why it's probably not the best choice of reading material, she offers him a stack of more appropriate books on the subject. John and Lucy strike up a casual friendship, and it's eventually revealed that she has some demons of her own.
Eventually, Ike takes John out on the river to introduce him to the finer points of fly-fishing. Ike has been warned not to fish on his own, due to fainting spells brought on by PTSD. So it makes perfect sense for the two of them to spend time outdoors together. John quickly masters the fine art of angling-he seems a natural. I must say, the cinematography, not only of the scenery, but especially the close-ups of netting the fish are stunning. You get the sense you're right there fishing with them. When John asks Ike why he releases the fish, he's told it's his way of choosing not to kill. A subtle but poignant sentiment.
Unlike my two brothers, I'm not into fishing. But after seeing this marvelous film, I could see myself fly-fishing on some secluded stretch of river up north. Just watching the fishing scenes had a meditative and calming effect on me. If you enjoy this movie and would like to see more like it, I highly recommend Robert Redford's magnificent "A River Runs Through It," and the entertaining "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen."
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