East of Wall
- Ben Pivoz
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Sometimes a movie can feel like real life. Even if it has a director, writer, editor and features actors, it feels like a glimpse of reality. A well-made dramatization can actually be more convincing than a documentary because, in the former, the audience isn’t quite so aware of the camera. The slice of life drama East of Wall is a movie like that. A mixture of people playing themselves and a couple of recognizable actors, it is about a woman keeping on for the sake of her family, under very trying circumstances.
It is a specific story, about a makeshift family of horse trainers living on a 300-thousand-acre ranch in South Dakota. The plot is simple, with the ordinary difficulties of the situation, combined with unresolved grief, forcing them into decisions they would prefer not to be faced with. It is not concerned with plot; it cares about the people it showcases. In its uncomplicated way, it encompasses the beauty of this world and the challenges of living in it. It is a truly touching story.
Tabatha Zimiga lives on a horse ranch with seven teenagers and a three-year-old, one year after the death of her husband. Some of the kids are hers, some she’s helping to take care of for parents who can’t afford to. With business slow and money tight, she has no choice but to listen when a rich guy shows up with an interest in buying the ranch.
Nearly everyone who lives on the Zimiga ranch is playing themselves. It is important to state that because this is where East of Wall (93 minutes, without the end credits) gets its effortless power from. When the character Tabatha looks at her daughter, Porshia, with love and exasperation, it feels natural since they are mother and daughter and they have probably had this exact interaction many times before. It cannot have been easy to replicate their relationships on-screen. Writer/director Kate Beecroft spent a lot of time with the Zimiga family, getting to know them and immersing herself in their world. That is similar to what a lot of documentarians do prior to filming and it works just as well here.
This is also a story about modernization, how the world forces even the practitioners of old professions to adapt to new technologies to survive. The Zimigas are struggling to sell their horses the old-fashioned way. They still go the auction route, with Tabatha having the kids design flashy acrobatic shows to wow small crowds of grizzled ranch owners with the horse’s calm temperament while a teenager spins all around it. However, with that not producing the results they need, they also utilize TikTok. Social media seems like it would be a far cry from this life, and there are many amazed and confused reactions to what they do, yet you have to do what you have to do in order to put food on the table.
This material is used to show that Tabatha is willing to do what it takes, pushing herself and her kids in creative ways to draw attention and make whatever money they can to get by. Roy, the rich man she ends up reluctantly partnering with, admires her drive and intelligence, though he is a businessman more than anything. Roy is played by Scoot McNairy, one of the best character actors working today. He creates a three-dimensional, complex man (smart, myopic, kind, self-serving, generous, stubborn) despite not getting as much screentime. This is where casting is so crucial; he fits the story perfectly because he sticks out like a sore thumb,
With East of Wall, Kate Beecroft has put on film something that is sensitive, moving, insightful and allows audiences to temporarily feel a part of a life most people can’t really imagine. She did this just by showing how a real family lives, no melodrama. If it is punched up at all, it is never enough to be a distraction. It is simple, humanist filmmaking. Highly recommended.
4 out of 5
Cast:
Tabatha Zimiga as Tabatha Zimiga
Porshia Zimiga as Porshia Zimiga
Scoot McNairy as Roy Waters
Jennifer Ehle as Tracey
Written/Directed by Kate Beecroft
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