Coming-of-age films are a well-established genre because we can all relate to the joys, sorrows, and hardships we go through when we’re young. Coming-of-age films that focus on the LGBTQ community have been largely absent from the cinematic landscape, but in recent years, that’s starting to change. One recent addition to the genre is the inspiring Western-set film “National Anthem.”
Dylan (Charlie Plummer) is a 21-year-old young man with no big prospects. He lives with his mother Fiona (Robyn Lively) and brother Cassidy (Joey DeLeon) and earns money working day jobs among migrant workers in New Mexico. One of these jobs takes him to a ranch called “House of Splendor” owned by Pepe (Rene Rosado), where Dylan encounters a group of people who seem to cover much of the LGBTQ spectrum.
He soon finds that the ranch is a haven for the group, a place where they can live free from the worries and criticisms of the outside world. Dylan is especially attracted to Skye (Eve Lindley), who boldly pursues Dylan throughout the film despite being in a relationship with Pepe. Dylan falls in love with all that the ranch has to offer: the community, the love, the sexual and gender fluidity.
Directed by Luke Gilford and written by Gilford, Kevin Best, and David Largman-Murray, the film is a beautiful, hopeful, and often sensual journey for its characters. The story is told almost entirely through Dylan’s eyes, so it’s hard not to be drawn into everything he goes through. While the film doesn’t delve too deeply into the struggles in Dylan’s life, it does enough to give the audience an understanding that the ranch was a much-needed escape for him.
As for the people on the ranch, it’s the vibe above all else that makes them so appealing. We never get to know any of them that well, not even Skye, who is almost a fantasy figure to Dylan, but the sense of security they feel in the company of like-minded people is palpable, an idea explored through a supporting character, Carrie (Mason Alexander Park). The film never reveals what Dylan’s sexual identity was before coming to the ranch, but it’s clear that he too enjoys being part of this particular group and has little need to conform.
The film primarily serves as a counter to the male-dominated, heterosexual-dominated trope that permeates most Western movies. Gilford appears at multiple rodeos organized by the International Gay Rodeo Association, where the LGBTQ community can participate and watch the sport without fear of being excluded. There’s even a drag scene, with Dylan’s brother in the stands seemingly giving the finger to those who think such things are harmful to children.
Plummer has been a low-key star for some time, starring in indie films like Lean on Pete, Gully, and Words on Bathroom Walls. Though he’s not the most expressive actor, his understated personality makes for an endearing character. Lindley shines in the film, from her upbeat attitude to the way her physical features are highlighted in the cinematography. Of particular note is Park, whose honest, realistic performance helps to anchor the story.
“National Anthem” is a film with many messages, but the most important one is that everyone should have their own safe place. The story is idyllic at times, but it’s also compelling thanks to Plummer and Lindley and the beauty of the country in which the film is set.
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“National Anthem” is now showing in select theaters.
