Rebuilding (Christian Movie Review) – The Collision

Raw, intimate, and uplifting, Rebuilding tells a story of overcoming heartbreaking, real-world struggles and mending broken relationships; it’s an inspiring love letter to the hard, unforgiving American West. 

About the Film 

This slice-of-life film is surprisingly inspiring. It perfectly balances death and innocence from a childlike perspective. After a devastating fire sweeps across the land and destroys several farms, Dusty has to decide whether to be present in his daughter’s life or move to Montana to continue his farming career. Raw, intimate, and uplifting, Rebuilding tells a story of overcoming heartbreaking, real-world struggles and mending broken relationships; it’s an inspiring love letter to the hard, unforgiving American West.  

After the catastrophic fires in California earlier this year, the film’s release couldn’t have been timelier. Having suffered the effects of a forest fire himself, director Max Walker-Silverman’s personal experience shines through. Many quiet scenes are infused with depth not only due to the emotional performances of the actors but also as a result of Walker-Silverman’s personal touch. The film drips with his love for his craft, community, and hometown. Recently, I was able to chat with him about the experiences that led to him creating this film. You can find that conversation here.

The most powerful relationship depicted in the film is the one between Dusty and his daughter, Callie Rose. Her faith in him inspires him to stop running and to open himself up to the relationships that truly matter. Her heart redeems him. 

At the start of the film, Dusty is a loner who prefers to spend time with his animals rather than his neighbors. But when he is forced to sell his cattle and rebuild, he comes to understand the importance of community. By the end of the story, he is a new man. It is a powerful lesson in selflessness and friendship.   

Death is ever-present in this film, though not in a suffocating way. After a loss in the family, Callie Rose asks what happens after death. Dusty offers a romantic secular response, replying that his mother always said they bury people so they can come back as trees. When those trees die, they come back again. This interaction opens the door for viewers to discuss the realities of heaven and hell.   

The film also emphasizes the importance of making the most of what you have. One of the characters has a mantra, “You get what you get.” She is the picture of contentment, teaching her granddaughter to be generous and to appreciate the small things in life. She is a comfortable, lovable character who provides a great example of living a quiet life to the fullest.   

Rebuilding can be seen simply as a love letter to the American West. Even though a terrible fire has just destroyed every material thing Dusty and his newfound community owned and loved, there remains an innate beauty that is impossible to erase. The cinematography is gorgeous, featuring sweeping landscapes as well as plain, dusty dirt roads and buildings. The original score fits perfectly, with the stripped down acoustics and strings adding a greater sense of authenticity.

Rebuilding is an inspiring film full of life lessons. It reflects the gospel in a quiet and steady way. The story is unhurried and allows viewers to fully appreciate the characters and their struggles. Overall, I recommend this film to anyone looking to enjoy a beautiful, low-key story on a rainy day.   

On the Surface

For Consideration

Beneath The Surface

Engage The Film

Rebirth

One of the major themes of this film is rebirth. Fire is a cleansing force. Once something is burned, it can never return to what it was before. Though fire is destructive, it also presents an opportunity for a new beginning. Before the fire, though everything may have looked fine on the surface, life was pulling Dusty further and further from his daughter. Afterward, his heart begins to change.  

Dusty’s transformation mirrors the Christian experience. The Bible describes the Spirit as a flame in Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). When you are truly confronted with the Spirit, nothing can ever be the same again. The impact of that encounter is undeniable, just as it is impossible to deny the evidence of a recent fire.   

After the confrontation and prayerful acceptance comes a period of rebuilding during which one learns how to walk with Christ. This is the point in the process in which the movie takes place—the sanctification. A slow renewal begins. Though there are setbacks and doubts along the way, Dusty has been reborn.