In the concise, searing drama Omaha, an especially devoted dad (John Magaro) has been financially ruined by his late wife’s final illness. He bundles their two kids into his barely drivable car for a road trip across the Great Basin toward Nebraska. The purpose of the road trip is mysterious, and even the whip-smart nine-year-old daughter can’t guess it. The emotionally powerful ending is shattering.
Omaha is a showcase for John Magaro (Past Lives). His inability to provide for his kids has filled him with desperation and profound shame, but he is determined to insulate his kids from his stress.
Magaro’s performance is in the same ballpark as his extraordinary turn in Past Lives, where his character, waiting to see if his girlfriend will run off with a childhood crush, puts on a mask of stoicism and civility while practically vibrating with anxiety. Before Past Lives, I had seen Magaro in The Big Short, The Many Saints of Newark and 18 1/2 without any appreciation that he was capable of work like this. Fortunately for us, Magaro is now getting even more high profile work (The Mastermind, Materialists, The Bride!).
Omaha is the first feature for director Cole Webley, working off a screenplay from Richard Machoian (God Bless the Child, The Killing of Two Lovers). Webley has a gift for portraying those seemingly minor life moments that tell the audience so much about relationships and motivations. Omaha is only 83 minutes long – and that’s perfect for this story.
I screened Omaha for the Nashvlle Film Festival and included it in my Must See at NashFilm. Omaha released theatrically last weekend in New York and more widely this Friday.