I’ve had a lot of unforgettable Sundance experiences over the years. One that will stick with me was the premiere of Cole Webley’s Omaha, a road movie about a struggling father who takes his two kids on a heartbreaking journey across America for reasons that will become clear much later on. The two reasons I’ll remember this are that it’s one of the rare occasions when a movie made the entire theater full of critics bawl like babies. The other is the breakthrough performance by then 9-year-old Molly Belle Wright, who delivers emotion well beyond her years opposite a devastating John Magaro.
In Omaha, Wright plays Ella, who along with her precocious 6-year-old brother Charlie (Wyatt Solis), are blissfully unaware as their father takes them on a roadtrip that will change their lives forever. Set during the 2008 financial crisis, the film finds Dad sacrificing everything for his children along the way, to make sure that this adventure be as happy as it can possibly be for them because of an uncertain future.
Much like Wright herself, Ella is wise well beyond her age, and picks up that something is amiss. It’s one of the things I brought up with Wright during my interview with the talented young actress. She talked about the tough subject matter, the film’s secretive plot, and her comfort at being like an older sister for Wyatt, who was just six years old at the time. Of course, we also talked about sharing the screen with Magaro, who has been a personal favorite of mine since Not Fade Away and continues to impress with recent roles in September 5 and The Bride! He’s one of the best actors working today, and Wright holds her own with him in some of the film’s most powerful exchanges.
Omaha is in New York theaters now and will hit theaters nationwide in May. Check out my conversation with Molly Belle Wright below!
