Higher Ground (2011)

A chronicle of one woman's lifelong struggle with her faith.

Director:

Vera Farmiga

Writers:

Carolyn S. Briggs (screenplay), Tim Metcalfe (screenplay),

Stars:

Joshua Leonard, Norbert Leo Butz, Vera Farmiga

6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Joshua Leonard	...	Ethan Miller
Norbert Leo Butz	...	Pastor Bill
Michael Chernus	...	Ned
Vera Farmiga	...	Corinne Walker
McKenzie Turner	...	Young Corrine Walker
Donna Murphy	...	Kathleen Walker
John Hawkes	...	CW Walker
Matthew Dubas	...	Salesman
Taylor Schwencke	...	Young Wendy Walker
Jillian Lindig	...	Mrs. Tittle
Bill Irwin	...	Pastor Bud
Alden Rosakranse	...	Tim
Taissa Farmiga	...	Teenage Corinne Walker
James Noon	...	Kirk
Kaitlyn Rae King	...	Teenage Wendy Walker

Storyline

Vera Farmiga's directorial debut, HIGHER GROUND, depicts the landscape of a tight-knit spiritual community thrown off-kilter when one of their own begins to question her faith. Inspired by screenwriter Carolyn S. Briggs' memoir This Dark World, the film tells the story of a thoughtful woman's struggles with belief, love, and trust - in human relationships as well as in God.

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Plot Keywords:

faith | marriage | fundamentalism | belief in heaven | born again christian | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some language and sexual content

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 March 2012 (New Zealand)

Also Known As:

Em Busca da Fé

Filming Locations:

Kingston, New York, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$21,495 (USA) (26 August 2011)

Gross:

$841,206 (USA) (30 December 2011)

Company Credits

Production Co:

BCDF Pictures, Group Entertainment, The, Ruminant Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

At the therapist's office, the wall clock is clearly not working as the second hand is not moving.

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Connections

Referenced in The Substance of Things Hoped For: Making Higher Ground (2011)

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Soundtracks

"Souvenir"
Written by Spencer David Hutchings
Performed by Spencer David Hutchings

User Reviews

A loose collecting of scenes which sometimes work alone, but do not fit together as a whole

Higher Ground is about a woman who wants something far more than she can actually handle it. Corinne (Vera Farmiga) is so sure in her devoutness to God that there is never any question or doubts. She knows there are mysterious ways she will never understand and sometimes even forgets her place when she almost preaches at the learned men of the church instead of sitting in the background like women should at her church services. Then why does she still feel empty? She is inviting God in, leaves the porch light on, but sometimes he just does not show up.

Corinne listens to her best friend pray for her in tongues and so wants that same energy to flow through her and speak those strange and unfamiliar words. She stares into the bathroom mirror almost begging the unseen to let the spirit flow through her and make her feel ecstatic. Alas, no holy spirit shows up. In fact, those mysterious ways show up again in forms which make Corinne start to wonder just what is pulling the strings in the world if all of her prayer goes nowhere and horrible things continue to happen and that empty feeling inside of her grows larger.

The screenplay is based on Carolyn S. Briggs's memoir "This Dark World" and must come to life more on the printed page than on screen. Higher Ground is a faith story of one girl's and then woman's history of faith and then disenchantment. Sometimes it is delightful especially early scenes between young Corinne (Taissa Farmiga) and her boyfriend (Boyd Holbrook) and even more so with her best friend Annika (Dagmara Dominczyk). These supporting characters are far more intriguing on screen than Corinne is. The majority of the film follows Corinne through her daily grind and interactions which either affirm or hinder her faith. This memoir may make for interesting conversation in the author's living room, but on screen, it just wanders around.

Just because one is able to write a memoir does not mean it will be compelling to an outside observer. The scenes in Higher Ground may work individually at moments, but taken together, they do not quite fit alongside one another. At the end, they really are just scenes juxtaposed together to tell a life story wrapped around faith; that is about as interesting to watch as it is to read about.