As we’ve learned from Andrew Haigh, director of “45 Years” and “Weekend,” he knows how to make tough but tender dramas. And once again, he’ll be beautifully breaking our hearts with “Lean On Pete,” and the first trailer might just have you reaching for the Kleenex.
Based on the beloved novel by Willy Vlautin, and starring Charlie Plummer, Steve Buscemi, Chloe Sevigny, Steve Zahn, Thomas Mann, and Amy Seimetz, the film tells the story of a teenage Charley, who finds a reprieve from his knockabout home life in a horse named Lean On Pete. Here’s the official synopsis:
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Fifteen-year-old Charley Thompson (Charlie Plummer) arrives in Portland, Oregon with his single father Ray (Travis Fimmel), both of them eager for a fresh start after a series of hard knocks. While Ray descends into personal turmoil, Charley finds acceptance and camaraderie at a local racetrack where he lands a job caring for an aging Quarter Horse named Lean On Pete. The horse’s gruff owner Del Montgomery (Steve Buscemi) and his seasoned jockey Bonnie (Chloë Sevigny) help Charley fill the void of his father’s absence—until he discovers that Pete is bound for slaughter, prompting him to take extreme measures to spare his new friend’s life. Charley and Pete head out into the great unknown, embarking on an odyssey across the new American frontier in search of a loving aunt Charley hasn’t seen in years. They experience adventure and heartbreak in equal measure, but never lose their irrepressible hope and resiliency as they pursue their dream of finding a place they can call home.
Featuring “compassion” to go with its ” hard-edged, occasionally harrowing journey through hardship and loss,” you’ll want to mark your 2018 calendar for “Lean On Pete.”
