Leave No Trace is one of those movies that, in the hands of a lesser director, could have easily gone down the trail of tear-jerking melodrama and over-dramatic politicking. It does neither, yet still manages to be heartfelt and have its message heard loud and clear. It’s a small film with a quiet, reserved emotion that stays grounded in the direction and acting. Director Debra Granik’s deft touch is a sight for sore eyes.
The story sounds like something you’d read in a small-town newspaper. It might make a blip on the nightly news with a call to action about the state of veterans but would be quickly forgotten. A man and his daughter have been living alone and isolated in a national park outside Portland, Oregon. The man, Will (Ben Foster), suffers from PTSD and is doing the best he can to provide for his daughter, Tom (Thomasin McKenzie). In fact, they seem to be doing just fine considering the circumstances. They have food, shelter, and routine, plus Tom seems well adjusted and surprisingly “normal” for a young teenager who lives in the woods.
The relationship between father and daughter is strong and isn’t like anything we’re used to seeing in movies. Will doesn’t come off as paranoid or half-cocked, and he treats Tom as an equal. They’re partners who rely on each other for survival – with one teaching the other how to survive in the wild, and the other keeping the first with a reason to go on. There are no outbursts and there are no squabbles over boys or makeup. There’s respect, understanding, and strong communication.
Tom likes her life with her dad, but when they’re caught and taken into custody things must inevitably change. This is where the film takes another unexpected but refreshing path. The system isn’t cruel to them – it’s oddly understanding. They expect a militia-type dad who’s brainwashed his unschooled child into who knows what kind of backward belief system. Instead, they find a girl who’s intellectually ahead for her age and a dad who’s coherent, sober, and with not a conspiracy theory to be found. They’re strangely impressed so they decide to help.
What happens next, I’ll let you discover on your own, but I’ll say it’s delivered in a compelling, compassionate way that never gets bogged down in blatant messaging or stagey theatrics. Leave No Trace simply lives its life to its natural conclusion – and when it’s over it feels right. The performances by Foster and McKenzie are wonderful in their composure, fully conveying both the longing for true freedom, loyalty, and the need to belong. The calm they bring to each other is augmented by expert pacing by Granik and deep, rich cinematography by Michael McDonough.
It never comes out and tells us exactly what’s on its mind, but Leave No Trace makes us understand completely. The issues it addresses are just below the surface, but smartly not made overbearing or too outward in appearance. This is a solid movie and an example of where I’d like to see the industry move towards.
James is a writer, skateboarder, record collector, wrestling nerd, and tabletop gamer living with his family in Asheville, North Carolina. He is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association, the North Carolina Film Critics Association, and contributes to The Daily Orca, Razorcake Magazine, Mountain Xpress, and Asheville Movies.