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| Mending the Line | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Joshua Caldwell |
| Written by | Stephen Camelio |
| Produced by | Kelly McKendry Scott MacLeod Carl Effenson Stephen Camelio Joshua Caldwell |
| Starring | Brian Cox Sinqua Walls Perry Mattfeld Patricia Heaton Wes Studi |
| Cinematography | Eve M. Cohen |
| Edited by | Will Torbett |
| Music by | Bill Brown |
| Distributed by | Blue Fox Entertainment |
| Release dates |
|
| Running time | 122 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $379,890 |
Mending the Line is a 2022 American drama film written by Stephen Camelio, directed by Joshua Caldwell and starring Brian Cox, Sinqua Walls, Perry Mattfeld, Patricia Heaton and Wes Studi.
Plot
A Marine wounded in Afghanistan returns home to the US but struggles deeply with the trauma of war. The memories of fallen friends haunt him, and he carries the weight of survivor's guilt, along with physical injuries that make daily life difficult. He is sent to a V.A. facility in Montana where he meets a Vietnam Vet who teaches him how to fly fish as a way of dealing with his PTSD, they forge a friendship that changes both of their lives.
Cast
- Brian Cox as Ike Fletcher
- Sinqua Walls as Colter
- Perry Mattfeld as Lucy
- Patricia Heaton as Dr. Burke
- Wes Studi as Harrison
Production
In August 2021, it was announced that Cox and Walls would star in the film.
Filming occurred in Montana in September 2021.
Release
The film premiered at the Woodstock Film Festival on September 29, 2022. It was also shown at the San Diego International Film Festival on October 22, 2022. Then it was released in theaters on June 9, 2023 by Blue Fox Entertainment, and on demand on September 26, 2023 by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The movie arrived on Netflix on March 23, 2024. The film shot up to #1 on the Netflix US Top Ten where it remained for five days and maintained its overall position in the Top Ten for the first week of its release. The film also cracked the Netflix Global Top Ten at #10 despite only being available in the US.
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 77% of 22 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.7/10. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 56 out of 100, based on 4 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.
Owen Gleiberman of Variety gave the film a positive review and wrote that it "has a rote TV-movie look and a few bland and rambling passages. But it delivers a truth about those who have served, about the reality of the demons that can linger in them, that’s tough and moving."
Gary Goldstein of the Los Angeles Times also gave the film a positive review and wrote, "That said, the movie is worth a look for its lovely and magical fly-fishing sequences and stirring Big Sky vistas (shout out to cinematographer Eve Cohen), as well as its strong cast..."
Bill Goodykoontz of The Arizona Republic awarded the film three stars out of five and wrote, "But through its setting and performances, “Mend the Line” has just enough going for it to recommend it."
Award
The film won the Valor Award at the San Diego International Film Festival.
References
- ^ "Mending the Line (2023)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
- "Mending the Line (2023)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
- "Movie Review Mending The Line (2023)". Upcoming Movies and Web Series reviews. 2023-07-03. Archived from the original on 2023-07-03. Retrieved 2023-07-03.
- Kroll, Justin (August 20, 2021). "Brian Cox And Sinqua Walls To Star And Exec Produce 'Mending The Line'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 5, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
- Elwell, Matt (September 7, 2021). "Fly fishing movie is being filmed in Southwest Montana". KBZK. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
- Hullender, Tatiana (September 23, 2022). "Brian Cox Teaches Sinqua Walls To Fish In Mending The Line [EXCLUSIVE CLIP]". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on June 27, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
- Kraft, Tim (October 20, 2022). "Exclusive: Perry Mattfeld and Joshua Caldwell on Mending the Line and Telling Important Stories". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on June 27, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
- Moore, Kasey (2024-03-28). "'Mending The Line' Director on the Movie Becoming a Hit on Netflix". What's on Netflix. Archived from the original on 2024-03-30. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
- Schaefer, Sandy (2024-03-26). "A Brian Cox Led Drama Has Taken Claim Of Netflix's Number One Spot". SlashFilm. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
- "Top 10 Movies on Netflix Right Now". www.netflix.com. Archived from the original on 2024-04-02. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
- "Mending the Line". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
- "Mending the Line". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
- Gleiberman, Owen (June 9, 2023). "'Mending the Line' Review: In a Moving Drama, Brian Cox and Sinqua Walls Are War Veterans Who Help Each Other Heal". Variety. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
- Goldstein, Gary (June 8, 2023). "Review: 'Mending the Line' casts a familiar but effective story about remedy and redemption". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
- Goodykoontz, Bill (June 6, 2023). "'Mending the Line' isn't just another fly-fishing melodrama. Here's how it hooked me". The Arizona Republic. Archived from the original on June 27, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
- ""Mending the Line," filmed in Montana, premiers in Bozeman". KEMC. June 8, 2023. Archived from the original on June 27, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
