'Falling' Trailer: Viggo Mortensen's Directorial Debut Is About A Gay Man Coming To Terms With His Homophobic Father

Viggo Mortensen has had a lot of acclaim and a lot of respected turns in films like “Captain Fantastic,” “A Dangerous Method,” “Eastern Promises,” “The Road,” “Jauja,” and “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy. He is Oscar-nominated and has been recognized by Screen Actors Guild, the Golden Globes, and BAFTA, but one thing he hasn’t done until now is direct. That changed with “Falling,” a film premiered at Sundance last year, and Mortensen also wrote and scored himself.

Viggo Mortensen Talks ‘Falling’ Criticism About Playing A Gay Man: “You’re Assuming I’m Completely Straight”

Following Sundance, the film was made an official selection title at Cannes, the Toronto International Film Festival, the San Sebastian Film Festival, and it earned a Best Picture nomination at the 2020 European Film Awards.

READ MORE: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2021

Starring Viggo Mortensen, Lance Henriksen (“Millennium,” “Aliens“), Sverrir Gudnason, and Laura Linney (“Ozark,” “Kinsey,” “The Big C“), “Falling” is essentially about the fractures of family, and much of that centered around identity. Mortensen’s character in the film is gay, has a family with his partner, but his father (Henriksen), is not only homophobic and from a different generation, but his bigotry is exacerbated by the fact he has dementia. Our reviewer out of Sundance didn’t really care for it but does say it’s clearly a passion project. Also, if you think it’s odd that he’s playing a gay man, well, Mortensen’s addressed that too (“You’re assuming I’m completely straight,” he said in a recent interview).

READ MORE: ‘Falling’: Viggo Mortensen’s Directorial Debut Is Exhausting [Sundance Review]

Here’s the official synopsis:

READ MORE: Viggo Mortensen Hopes To Work With David Cronenberg On A New Film Next Year

Falling examines the dynamic of father/son relationships driven by both generational and geographic divides.  John (Mortensen) lives with his partner, Eric (Terry Chen), and their adopted daughter in Los Angeles, far from the traditional rural life he left behind years ago, while his conservative father, Willis (Henriksen), who is facing early stages of dementia, lives alone on the isolated farm where John grew up.  When John brings Willis to California in an attempt to relocate him closer to family, their complex relationship unfolds through a heartfelt and abrasive tale that will speak to everyone who has struggled with a parental relationship.  

READ MORE: Viggo Mortensen Calls ‘Green Book’ Awards Backlash Is “Based On A Load Of Bullsh*t”

“Falling” opens in theaters, On Digital, and On-Demand on February 5th via Quiver Distribution.