Lamb (2015)

When a man meets a young girl in a parking lot he attempts to help her avoid a bleak destiny by initiating her into the beauty of the outside world. The journey shakes them in ways neither expects.

Director:

Ross Partridge

Writers:

Bonnie Nadzam (novel), Ross Partridge (screenplay)

Stars:

Ross Partridge, Oona Laurence, Jess Weixler

4 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Ross Partridge	...	David Lamb
Oona Laurence	...	Tommie
Jess Weixler	...	Linny
Tom Bower	...	Foster
Scoot McNairy	...	Jesse
Lindsay Pulsipher	...	Linda
Jennifer Lafleur	...	Melissa
Joel Murray	...	Wilson
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ron Burkhardt	...	Walter Lamb
Ketrick 'Jazz' Copeland	...	Security Guard
Iris Elliot	...	Melissa's Daughter
Amirah Griffin	...	Tommie's Friend #1
Mark Kelly	...	Radio Reporter (voice)
John Kemp	...	Foster's neighbor
Kay Kemp	...	Foster's neighbor

Storyline

Lamb, based on the novel by Bonnie Nadzam, traces the self-discovery of David Lamb in the weeks following the disintegration of his marriage and the death of his father. Hoping to regain some faith in his own goodness, he turns his attention to Tommie, an awkward and unpopular eleven-year-old girl. Lamb is convinced that he can help her avoid a destiny of apathy and emptiness, and takes Tommie for a road trip from Chicago to the Rockies, planning to initiate her into the beauty of the mountain wilderness. The journey shakes them in ways neither expects.

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Plot Keywords:

crying girl | piggy back ride | cooking over a campfire | 11 year old | homesickness | 

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Taglines:

Innocence walks a fine line

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some disturbing behavior, sexuality and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 January 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ягнёнок

Filming Locations:

Denver, Colorado, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,150, 10 January 2016

Gross USA:

$14,547

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$30,844

Company Credits

Production Co:

Silent Helicopter, The Shot Clock

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to Ross Partridge, Oona Laurence's mother was very supportive of her participation in the film. "I was worried that the parents wouldn't understand the approach, the intent, and why we were telling this story; it gave me a lot of confidence when they did."

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Quotes

David Lamb: Imagine a place way better than this. Acres of pale grass. Slash of green, down where the tamaracks and cottonwoods grow by the river. You see all that?
Tommie: Well, sort of... okay. Go.
David Lamb: There's only one road to get in. El Rancho Road. It's still unpaved. You need a little black key to open it. Mountains taller than your eyes can see. Off to the side of the cabin, there's a shop. Inside it, there's a little wood stove. A little AM radio, and a bunch of my father's old tools. On the work bench there's ...
[...]

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Soundtracks

Windows
Written by Angel Olsen
Performed by Angel Olsen

User Reviews

Unsettling movie is bound to be controversial

"Lamb" (2015 release; 96 min.) brings the story of David Lamb, a guy down on his luck. As the movie opens, we see David visit his sick father and it's not long afterwards that we learn his father has passed away, and on top that David has been kicked out by his wife, and David's boss tells him he needs to take some time off due to his affair with a co-worker. The next day David gets approached in a parking lot by a young lady who wants a cigarette. The two strike up a conversation, and from there a friendship develops. To tell you more would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this movie is a labor of love from under-the-radar actor Ross Partridge, who also directs and wrote the script (based on the critically well-received debut novel of the same name by Bonnie Nadzam). Partridge navigates the difficult task of portraying a relationship between a middle-aged man and an 11 yr. old girl, both of them two lost souls looking for some redemption, that can be viewed as just a friendship or maybe something more (platonically). It often makes for unsettling watching, and I will admit I came close to walking out of the theater a couple of times. Oona Lawrence, whom we saw not long ago in "Southpaw", shines as the little girl Tommie. Much of this is also a road movie (they are driving to and then back from David's family cabin way out west somewhere). There are some great side performances, including from Jess Weixler as David's co-worker Linny. I very much enjoyed the movie's score, composed by Daniel Belardinelli.

"Lamb" opened out of the blue today on a single screen for all of Greater Cincinnati without any pre-release hype or advertising. The early evening screening where I saw this at turned out to be a private screening: I literally was the only person there. I can't imagine that this movie will play more than one week in the theater, so if you want to check this out, you'll need to get VOD or eventually the DVD release.