Pictured are Phillip Lewitski, Joshua Odjick and Avery Winters-Anthony, who star in “Wildhood,” which is available for streaming on Hulu. Director Bretten Hannam’s coming of age story stands firmly on original ground, rich in culture and its exploration of sexuality. It’s equal parts tender, brash, raucous and sensual.
Pictured are Phillip Lewitski, Joshua Odjick and Avery Winters-Anthony, who star in “Wildhood.” It highlights culture and customs that often don’t make it into many LGBTQ films to this degree.
Pictured are Phillip Lewitski, Joshua Odjick and Avery Winters-Anthony, who star in “Wildhood.” The feature film debut of Director Bretten Hannam explores Mi’kmaq (First Nations people, indigenous to areas of Canada) culture in this coming of age story.
Pictured are Phillip Lewitski and Joshua Odjick, who star in “Wildhood.” While it’s easy to get caught up with the big titles and stars of the festival, “Wildhood” is an example of giving emerging, diverse, filmmaking talent a chance to be seen.
Pictured are Phillip Lewitski, Joshua Odjick and Avery Winters-Anthony, who star in “Wildhood,” which is available for streaming on Hulu. Director Bretten Hannam’s coming of age story stands firmly on original ground, rich in culture and its exploration of sexuality. It’s equal parts tender, brash, raucous and sensual.
COURTESY
Pictured are Phillip Lewitski, Joshua Odjick and Avery Winters-Anthony, who star in “Wildhood.” It highlights culture and customs that often don’t make it into many LGBTQ films to this degree.
COURTESY
Pictured are Phillip Lewitski, Joshua Odjick and Avery Winters-Anthony, who star in “Wildhood.” The feature film debut of Director Bretten Hannam explores Mi’kmaq (First Nations people, indigenous to areas of Canada) culture in this coming of age story.
RILEY SMITH/Courtesy
Pictured are Phillip Lewitski and Joshua Odjick, who star in “Wildhood.” While it’s easy to get caught up with the big titles and stars of the festival, “Wildhood” is an example of giving emerging, diverse, filmmaking talent a chance to be seen.
“Wildhood” is the type of hidden gem that the Toronto International Film Festival is praised for finding and shedding light on. The feature film debut of Director Bretten Hannam explores Mi’kmaq (First Nations people, indigenous to areas of Canada) culture in this coming of age story.
While it’s easy to get caught up with the big titles and stars of the festival, “Wildhood” is an example of giving emerging, diverse, filmmaking talent a chance to be seen. Although it debuted last September, it’s only now being released on Hulu, which might be the prime spot for a film like this to find its way into the hearts of those who need it the most.
The story follows a rebellious teenager named Lincoln (Phillip Lewitski) struggling with his sexuality and protecting his little brother from an abusive father. They run away from their trailer park life in search of the mother who abandoned them.
Their journey leads through back roads and into the path of Mi’kmaq teen Pasmay (Joshua Odjick), rejected by his religious family. The three find people along their route who knew Lincoln’s mom and hitchhike their way toward clues of her whereabouts. Of course, what they discover isn’t what they set out looking for, but along the way they experience maturity, heartbreak and at the end, all three wind up stronger individuals more in control of their future.
Hannam’s coming of age story stands firmly on original ground, rich in culture and its exploration of sexuality. It’s equal parts tender, brash, raucous and sensual. It’s an ironically beautiful film that follows teenagers through mud, wilderness and depravity.
It highlights culture and customs that often don’t make it into many LGBTQ films to this degree. The performances guided by Hannam do the characters justice, far more than the usual coming of age stereotypes or cheap gay love stories littered throughout most streaming services just to hit a quota.
Lewitski’s performance is the kind to land him future roles if the film gets viewed by the right people. He walks a fine line of anger and sorrow that we haven’t seen portrayed on screen since the days of Brad Renfro in films like “The Cure” or “Apt Pupil.”
Hannam’s script falls into a few cliches along the way, but for every moment that looks familiar, he offers another that’s surprising and fresh. “Wildhood” is not placating to the family friendly crowd — it’s no “Love Simon,” nor does it attempt shock value. Hunnam takes a no frills approach to life and all its dirty complexities.
Final Thought: Hannam’s coming of age story stands firmly on original ground, rich in culture and its exploration of sexuality.
Dustin Chase is a film critic and associate editor with Texas Art & Film, which is based in Galveston. Visit texasartfilm.com.
I enjoyed this movie. It has a sort of Huckleberry Finn vibe - if the Mississippi River was First Nations land. [thumbup] Probably not for people with gender identity/preference hangups.
In fact I heard one TV pundit say that his summer reading list is to read all of the GOP banded books. So keep pointing out to us what you disapprove of Susan.
On a side note, I’m very proud that several of the institutions in the Texas Medical Center decorated the tops of their buildings in rainbow lights during June for the 2022 Pride Month. One of them even lit up their circular bridge across Fannin Street with rainbow colors. It was pretty spectacular. It shows that they truly support for their patients, families and staff.
Ted, there are also a lot of LGTBQIA2S+ activities going on at NASA this month. Between pride, Juneteenth, and the 4th, this truly is the season to celebrate freedoms. (Supreme Court rulings and county troglodytes excepted, of course.) Enjoy them while we can.
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I couldn't even get through the authors mush of words describing this activist film without laughing. What a joke. The film industry is dead.
Well, now I have to watch it.
I enjoyed this movie. It has a sort of Huckleberry Finn vibe - if the Mississippi River was First Nations land. [thumbup] Probably not for people with gender identity/preference hangups.
Got no interest in it, so I won't be watching.
Hopefully those who do so, enjoy and get their 10 buck popcorn and 6 buck Coke worth...
Me too Bailey. I plan to watch.
In fact I heard one TV pundit say that his summer reading list is to read all of the GOP banded books. So keep pointing out to us what you disapprove of Susan.
On a side note, I’m very proud that several of the institutions in the Texas Medical Center decorated the tops of their buildings in rainbow lights during June for the 2022 Pride Month. One of them even lit up their circular bridge across Fannin Street with rainbow colors. It was pretty spectacular. It shows that they truly support for their patients, families and staff.
The GOP has no "banded books", Ted.
Ted, there are also a lot of LGTBQIA2S+ activities going on at NASA this month. Between pride, Juneteenth, and the 4th, this truly is the season to celebrate freedoms. (Supreme Court rulings and county troglodytes excepted, of course.) Enjoy them while we can.
Thank you for pointing out my typo Carlos. It’s good to know that we have built in spelling lookout.
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