‘Green and Gold’ Shines Spotlight on Heartland Values

The heartland doesn’t get much love on the big screen.

The vast region isn’t slick or sassy, irreverent or cutting edge. It speaks to simple truths, the kind that give modern storytellers fits.

Go too soft, and it’s Hallmark-lite. Push too hard, and it’s a lecture from Red State USA.

“Green and Gold” threads that cultural needle. It’s inspired by true events but brims with the details that make the best stories pop. It’s also a unicorn in the pop culture landscape, a story with no easy answers or pat solutions.

And it features a pair of powerful performances from unexpected places.

Craig T. Nelson stars as Buck, a cranky soul who refuses to adapt to modern farming practices. He works on instinct, not science. And he’s about to lose his Wisconsin dairy farm, likely for some of those reasons.

His headstrong granddaughter (Madison Lawlor) has had enough of his old-school approach. She’s an aspiring singer and pines for a life away from musty barns and birthing calves.

It’s hard to blame her.

She reconsiders when a callous banker (is there any other kind in films?) plans to take over the family farm. She’s torn between finding a new way forward and saving the farm at any cost.

The beloved Green Bay Packers could be the answer to the family’s prayers via a most unconventional bet. Can they pull off a gridiron miracle in time?

Add rising singer/songwriter (Brandon Sklenar) who could give Jenny’s career the boost it needs. But at what cost?

“Green and Gold” wouldn’t work without its commanding lead performances. Nelson refuses to soften Buck’s crusty exterior. He’s impatient and stubborn, and it isn’t framed in a cutesy fashion.

He can be a jerk.

Buck’s relationship with Jenny plays out as organically as his farming methods. The actors find many truthful moments together, some told with just a glance. That rhythm powers the film’s critical mid-section.

The film’s finale finds some unexpected wrinkles, even if it rolls out more rushed than needed.

“Green and Gold” feels authentic and lived in. The characters aren’t exaggerated or wallowing in rural cliches. The sights and sounds ring true, as do the supporting players who flesh out the story.

The great character actor M. Emmett Walsh gives his final performance here, and he delivers a few grace notes just when the story needs them.

It’s what he did for decades.

Some of the plot developments smack of Hollywood formula, from an out-of-the-blue assault to a character falling ill at the most convenient time, at least for dramatic purposes. Still, the film’s gritty nature makes these moments register.

It’s a film with dirt under its fingernails, and it shows.

“Green and Gold” is unfussy and raw, and it wouldn’t be the same without Nelson and Lawlor leading the way.

HiT or Miss: “Green and Gold” falls for a few formulaic tics, but it’s a sweet and sincere drama with some narrative surprises up its sleeve.

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