Wild Rose Movie Review

We all have dreams. But often times, dreams clash with the real world, especially when our responsibilities come knocking.

In the new movie, Wild Rose, Rose-Lynn (Jessie Buckley) has just been released from prison. Her dream is to become a country music star. But the bubble of the dream is quickly burst. Her mother, Marion (Julie Walters) has been taking care of her grandchildren during her daughter’s incarceration and insists that Rose-Lynn be the parent her kids need her to be.

To bring in income, Rose-Lynn is hired by Susannah (Sophie Okonedo) as a cleaning lady. Susannah discover’s Rose-Lynn’s talent and encourages her to go for the dream. But while Rose-Lynn is chasing her dream, she must also take care of her kids.

Can she do both or must her dream be sacrificed for her children?

This movie is brilliant. The narrative speaks to all us who have dreams, but must also face the reality of our responsibilities. As the title character, Buckley is flawed, human, but also very real. As her mother, Walters just wants what is best for her daughter and grandchildren, even if that means putting aside the dream for reality. As Susannah, Okonedo is the character who encourages Rose-Lynn to go for it. If only those of us with dreams had someone like that in our corner.

In addition to acting, Buckley is doing her own singing, adding another level of reality to her performance. I knew her from her previous roles as a good actress, but it was her singing that blew me away.

I recommend it.

Wild Rose is presently in theaters.