Introduction
Sometimes when a reviewer says that an actor “carries the film,” they mean that the performer’s talent and sheer charisma are the glue that holds the story together. In other cases, a leading performance is the only thing that saves a movie from going completely off the rails. A more literal example of this is when the actor is basically the only player who appears on screen at all. Therefore it all falls on them to make the movie work. Such is the case with director Trent O’Donnell’s Ride The Eagle, in which Jake Johnson sublimely holds down the lonely fort.
Synopsis
Ride The Eagle begins as a woman awkwardly adjusts a VHS recorder. When she finishes fumbling and cursing at the device, the quick greeting, “Hi Leif” is all that is revealed before the film’s opening credit sequence rolls.
The Leif in question turns out to be a bongo player who lives the simple life with his beloved dog Nora. The early-40s-something stoner is quite content to live the tiny house life in his friend’s backyard. This is until he discovers that his mom, Honey (Susan Sarandon), has passed away.
While news of a parent’s passing is usually met with a dramatic reaction, Leif’s honest detachment is explained straight away. Leif hasn’t really known his mom since she left him to join a cult when he was 12 years old.
Now, in order to inherit Honey’s beautiful Yosemite cabin, Leif must complete a “Honey-do” list outlined by his mother. This, or else the cabin will be routinely sold, with the proceeds being donated to charity.
While many people who might find themselves in the same strange situation wouldn’t think of indulging a parent who abandoned them. Leif gamely follows her weirdo, hippy scavenger hunt. He doesn’t even seem particularly desperate to claim his “conditional inheritance.” Rather, he seems earnestly open to seeing where each task takes him.
As Honey teaches her son the lessons she regrets not showing him in life, Leif discovers that he has a lot more in common with his mom than he ever expected. And through Honey’s bidding, Leif rediscovers love, forges new friendships, and leaves behind some toxic excess baggage.
Analysis
With a premise as potentially dark as Ride The Eagle, it’s refreshing that O’Donnell, who co-penned the screenplay with Johnson, keeps the vibe light and enjoyable throughout. Since Leif can’t mourn a mother he never knew, the film skips the sad part completely and dives right into the off-the-wall good stuff. What results is a charming and honest tale of regret and redemption told in a surprisingly positive way.
Except for a few interactions early in the film, Leif spends the majority of the second and third acts alone. This doesn’t stop Ride The Eagle from featuring one of the most charming “phone relationships” ever. Fans of the television series “The Good Place” will be delighted to see D’Arcy Carden (aka Janet on TGP) as Audrey, “the one who got away.”
When Leif contacts her to apologize per Honey’s directive, what ensues is some remarkably endearing writing and performing. The chance at rekindled love is so enjoyably rendered, and the chemistry is so perfectly balanced. It’s easy to forget that Carden and Johnson never share the same frame.
Performances
Another costar who’s there-but-not-there is Honey herself played by the incomparable Susan Sarandon via her video will. Her careful instruction morphs into a kind of indirect narration for the film, helping to propel the curious narrative ever forward as Leif discovers who his mother really was.
Old VHS tape can’t stop Sarandon’s ability to emote. Even through the grainy fog, Sarandon painstakingly captures and conveys Honey’s anguish over her mistakes. While keeping a humorous bent for the duration of Ride The Eagle.
Upping the pedigree ante, fellow academy award winner J.K. Simmons makes a brief, but powerful appearance as Carl. A flame of Honeys’ who has the wrong idea about Leif. Though their encounter isn’t a lengthy one, Simmons’ gives a thoughtful and layered execution of the role.
This unlocks another somewhat cringe-inducing dimension to Honey’s backstory. One that makes Leif (and the audience) like his deceased mom even more. Leif’s chance encounter with Carl is also part of a clever detail in the storyline in Ride The Eagle that, while not integral to the plot, provides an unexpected callback punchline that lands in perfect line with the rest of the chuckle-worthy antics.
To say Jake Johnson merely “holds down the lonely fort” in Ride The Eagle is quite an understatement. Not only does he handily captivate for the entirety of the borderline-dark film. He does so in a way that never seems bitter or angry for a character going through such an upheaval. Instead, Johnson has created an amiable character who eliminates any sad or negative undertones. This is done via a wonderfully engaging performance, even when push comes to shove.
Conclusion
Ride The Eagle is full of supposed life lessons extolled from the beyond, but Honey’s most obvious, and unintentional, message is that parents aren’t perfect. Those with children make mistakes just like those without. As such, it’s difficult to fully grasp this concept until a person has had the opportunity to screw up a few times themselves.
Forgiveness is a tricky beast for kids who are affected by their parent’s less-than-stellar decision-making, and Ride The Eagle provides a window into the troubling concept in a way that is uplifting with an edge.
The new Jake Johnson comedy Ride The Eagle comes to Theaters, On Demand, and Digital on July 30, 2021. The film also stars Susan Sarandon, J.K. Simmons, and D’Arcy Carden and was co-written by Johnson and director Trent O’Donnell.
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