The Dry Land (2010)

A U.S. soldier returning home from war struggles to reconcile his experiences abroad with the life and family he left in Texas.

Director:

Ryan Piers Williams

Writer:

Ryan Piers Williams

Stars:

Ryan O'Nan, America Ferrera, Jason Ritter

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ryan O'Nan	...	James
America Ferrera	...	Sarah
Jason Ritter	...	Michael
Melissa Leo	...	Martha
Wilmer Valderrama	...	Raymond Gonzales
Diego Klattenhoff	...	Henry
Ana Claudia Talancón	...	Adriana
Evan Jones	...	Joe Davis
June Diane Raphael	...	Susie
Ethan Suplee	...	Jack
Zion Sandoval	...	Ian
Sasha Spielberg	...	Sally the Checkout Girl
Benito Martinez	...	David Valdez
David Smith	...	Bill
Misty Upham	...	Gloria the Receptionist

Storyline

A thesis picture. James arrives home to West Texas from Iraq. He doesn't remember much about the war, and it's soon clear he has post traumatic stress. He takes a job at an abattoir. After an alcohol-fueled fights with co-workers and his wife, he seeks help at the VA. He returns to find she's leaving him until he can regain control. He leaves his dog with his ailing mother and drives northeast to visit an Army buddy and find out what it is he can't remember. His friend won't say much, so James drives on to Walter Reed Hospital where another friend convalesces. Will James find out what he's repressed, and if he does, will it make anything better? What options does he have?

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Plot Keywords:

mother | hospital | post traumatic stress | west texas | army buddy | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for pervasive language, sexual content and disturbing violent situations

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

24 January 2010 (USA)

Also Known As:

American Tragic

Filming Locations:

Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$7,351 (USA) (30 July 2010)

Gross:

$7,351 (USA) (30 July 2010)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Maya Entertainment, Take Fountain Productions, Besito Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Features Halo (2001)

User Reviews

Everyone's war is different and so is the return

I am a combat Veteran who was seriously wounded in Baghdad, Iraq on April 26, 2004. I had the opportunity to view The Dry Land at the Dallas International Film Festival in April this year. I think the movie does an excellent job portraying some of the issues that may occur when a combat Veteran comes home. Each one of us has a different experience of war and react differently when we come back home and try to fit back into normalcy. It can be difficult to accept that life back home may be different then prior to our deployment and the fact that our friends and family view us differently too. I think The Dry Land is spot on in every aspect of the movie and I want to thank all of the actors & actresses for their involvement and especially the Director and Screenwriter Ryan Piers Williams.