Causeway (2022) Movie Review
Jennifer Lawrence returns to her roots in the form of an indie film that harkens back to her early days in Winter’s Bone (2010). In Causeway, she plays Lynsey, a soldier who is rehabbing from a traumatic head injury from her time in Afghanistan. She is wheelchair bound at the beginning and living with a woman named Sharon (Jayne Houdyshell) in a rehab program. She has trouble doing everyday tasks like brushing her teeth, showering, and dressing herself. Sharon assists her as she struggles to rebuild her physical abilities.
When Lynsey is deemed able to return to normal civilian life she goes home to New Orleans to stay with her mother who is not exactly the mothering kind. She forgets what day Lynsey is coming home and neglects to pick her up from the bus station. Lynsey is eager to get out of her hometown and return to Afghanistan and it’s clear early on that neither her family or her hometown has much to offer her. She gets a job cleaning pools to earn some money while she tries to get in shape so her doctor will clear her for service. When her old truck breaks down, she takes it to an auto repair shop run by James (Brian Tyree Henry). They are both loners and strike up a friendship. Both have trauma in their pasts that they are still grappling with and they bond over this shared experience.
The meandering story works because of Lawrence and Henry’s chemistry. They’re funny together, particularly Henry who delivers his one liners under his breath. Lawrence’s Lynsey is imbued with a naivete that is endearing. But she’s also driven and stubborn and you can understand why she’s so desperate to leave her town and her family behind. Lawrence’s performance is understated but draws some parallels to her breakout role in Winter’s Bone as Ree. Lawrence is a full blown adult now with years of acting experience under her belt and you can see her growth. Her quiet intensity radiates on screen and it’s hard to dislike Lynsey despite her flaws. But Brian Tyree Henry steals the show as James, a man suffering from a horrific mistake that left him with an amputated leg and estranged from his family. Henry’s performance is layered and measured, giving us bits of James at a time. His easiness with Lawrence makes their friendship believable.
The movie worked, up until a scene in a pool a little more than halfway through the story. An incident completely changes the dynamic of James and Lynsey’s friendship in a way I hated, especially after the careful curation of their relationship up until that point. This divergence turns the movie into something else, and personally I wish it had been omitted. The script isn’t as strong as it could be but the acting performances and detailed directing from Lila Neugebauer save it from veering too far off course. Lawrence is best when she’s at her most vulnerable and Henry continues to bring depth to the characters he plays. These two great actors elevate a story that could have been mediocre into something worth watching.
You’ll like this movie if:
1. You like stories about coping with trauma
2. You like stories about friendship
3. You want to see Lawrence in one of her best roles since The Hunger Games
