Montana
In Montana Story, Big Sky Country hides big family secrets
Motion pictures about childhood trauma not often come as powerfully understated as Montana Story. Unfolding beneath a Montana sky so clear and expansive you may nearly really feel the wind whipping by way of your hair, the movie is considered one of heavy and suppressed sorrow, that includes a brother and sister who every carry a burden of unresolved grief. Owen Teague and Haley Lu Richardson play Cal and Erin, estranged half-siblings who reunite at their household’s ranch to say goodbye to their dying father. It’s a reunion that neither sibling anticipated, nor wished. However the empty skies and infinite rolling hills give them nowhere to cover as they lastly confront their emotions towards their father and one another. It is a deeply felt work anchored by two earthy performances that keep small-scaled irrespective of how melodramatic the slowly revealed secrets and techniques turn into.
Montana Story is a welcome return for writer-directors Scott McGehee and David Siegel, whose finest movies, most notably 2012’s What Maisie Knew, are tightly centered character items that shine a harsh mild on household dynamics, oftentimes asking the viewer to rethink what constitutes a household and the forces that maintain it collectively or tear it aside. Their debut function, 1993’s Hitchcockian thriller, Suture, is about two estranged half-siblings, and Montana Story options the identical type of pairing. Possibly they suppose the bond between half-siblings will not be as pure and due to this fact much less steady than that of full siblings which, beneath the improper circumstances, can solely result in hassle. Regardless, Suture’s sense of experimentation is nowhere to be discovered within the extra simple Montana Story, the place two emotionally fragile twentysomethings wrestle to reconnect after experiencing the worst that childhood can dish out.
It’s pretty apparent from the get-go that Cal harbors no love for his father and has returned house reluctantly to wrap up the elder man’s affairs. Upon arriving on the ranch, Cal walks proper by the comatose Wade (Rob Story), who is attached to life-sustaining machines in his research, and goes straight for the household’s 25-year-old horse, Mr. T. What to do with the getting older stallion is barely one of many obligations heaped upon his shoulders. Cal should additionally oversee the sale of his father’s belongings, together with the ranch, to keep away from chapter and to pay his medical payments. All this appears barely above Cal’s pay grade, and the tall and lanky Teague, together with his wide-open face, is kind of plausible because the silently anguished son pushing by way of the ache to carry out a familial obligation.
Whereas Teague cuts a traditional Western determine, Richardson is the revelation right here. Erin’s grudging return to the ranch after operating away seven years earlier lights a long-dormant set of inner fireworks, and the Assist the Women standout conveys Erin’s conflicting feelings with solely the slightest actions of her face or flattening of her voice. When Cal broadcasts he’s having Mr. T put down, Erin’s expression barely adjustments from seconds earlier when she was wistfully brushing the horse’s mane. However we sense the ache she’s feeling. Later, she decides to do one thing for the horse she would by no means do for her hated father: preserve him alive. She tells Cal she’s going to move the horse to her house in upstate New York. Cal reacts by asking his estranged half-sister, “You reside in New York?”
At first, McGehee and Siegel (who co-wrote the script together with Mike Spreter) are purposely stingy with the main points of why Erin is so spiteful in direction of Wade and why she deserted the household. However Teague and Richardson preserve us totally engaged as Cal and Erin’s deeply unfavorable emotions are slowly rekindled and stand able to boil over. Finally, Cal spills all to Wade’s light, straight-talking Kenyan caretaker, Ace (a candy Gilbert Owuor). As a substitute of draining the movie of its central thriller, the revelation refocuses our consideration on whether or not Cal and Erin can restore their relationship. Because the extra aggrieved of the 2, Erin has the furthest to journey emotionally. When she first arrives on the ranch, it sickens her that she feels any pity for her reviled father and she or he tries to e book the subsequent flight house. Later, when Cal gamely makes an attempt to make dialog by telling Erin about his life in Cheyenne, she doesn’t even take a look at him, not to mention reply. Slowly, Erin loosens up, first borrowing a cigarette from Cal, then telling of her life in New York, after which cooking dinner till the climactic confrontation, which is heartbreaking and properly performed by each events.
A small group of ancillary characters dip out and in to strengthen the specificity of the atmosphere and broaden the story. They embrace Mukki (a terrific Eugene Courageous Rock), who assists Erin within the transport of Mr. T, and Valentina (Kimberly Guerrero), the housekeeper harboring her personal secret that explains how Erin knew her father was deathly ailing regardless of having lower off all contact with the household. Taking pictures on 35mm, cinematographer Giles Nuttgens, who lensed 2016’s implausible Hell Or Excessive Water, refuses to prettify Montana’s wide-open areas; as an alternative, he trusts their pure magnificence, which solely will increase the movie’s authenticity. Additionally, a lot credit score goes to editor Isaac Hagy for creating the light rhythms that enable moments to linger and feelings to sink in.
Discuss of tight wallets, environmental evaluations, and mining operations missing authorities oversight trace at grander statements. Fortunately, McGehee and Siegel don’t take the bait, though having Erin run down all 9 Circles of Hell from Dante’s Inferno, whereas comprehensible thematically, stands out as a screenwriter’s conceit. In any other case, Montana Story tells a well-worn story with such exceptional care that it feels utterly new. Cal and Erin come to know that the ache of maintaining your anger inside is worse than the ache of placing it out within the open so others can go judgment in your failings. However the important thing to processing grief is to course of each ounce of it, even when it takes seven years. Montana Story wrings a lot fact out of this concept, treating Cal and Erin with endurance and compassion earlier than and after the dam lastly breaks.
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 22, 2024, results for each game:
Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Dec. 22 drawing
04-07-37-43-47, Lucky Ball: 08
Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from Dec. 22 drawing
03-12-23-27, Bonus: 06
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9:00 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
- Lotto America: 9:00 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
- Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Montana Cash: 8:00 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.
Where can you buy lottery tickets?
Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.
You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Texas, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.
Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.
It’s a dream matchup, with No. 1 seed Montana State considered a slight favorite over No. 2 seed North Dakota State heading into the 2024 FCS championship game. As they build off rousing semifinal-round wins, we preview what to expect when each finalist has the ball.
If it feels like Montana State and North Dakota State are standing in opposite corners staring across at each other, you have it right.
The 2024 FCS championship game is a heavyweight bout between the top two seeds from an original 24-team field that embarked on the Road to Frisco.
Come the night of the Jan. 6 at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, Montana State (15-0) will have spent over two months as the FCS’ last unbeaten team. But the No. 1-seeded Bobcats’ last defeat occurred against NDSU – a 35-34 overtime thriller in the 2023 playoff second round.
The No. 2-seeded Bison (13-2) are back where most of their recent seasons have gone. They’ve already captured nine FCS championships prior to their 11th appearance in Frisco since the 2011 season – both all-time highs for the Division I subdivision.
A tale of the tape suggests a lot with this season’s FCS championship game. Maybe Michael Buffer should be brought in for pregame introductions.
When Montana State Has the Ball
Incredibly, the Bobcats have scored in 54 of their 60 quarters this season while averaging an FCS-high 41.3 points per game. They want to pound the run – plain and simple.
Coach Brent Vigen’s squad ranks No. 2 in the FCS in rushing yards per game (301.0), with their devasting attack set up by an offensive line whose five starters are all listed as being at least 6-foot-4, 300 pounds (right tackle Marcus Wehr is a two-time first-team All-American).
North Dakota State rarely surrenders 85 rushing yards to an opposing quarterback, but that’s what Tommy Mellott needs for the Bobcats to gain a third 1,000-yard rusher along with their standout running backs, the physical Scottre Humphrey (1,360 yards, 15 touchdowns) and the big-play Adam Jones (1,134, 14). Mellott has 15 career games of 100+ rushing yards, including in their last two playoff wins.
Ty McCullouch is by far Montana State’s top pass catcher over his two seasons in the program, but fellow wide receiver Taco Dowler has been the go-to target of Mellott (2,564 yards, 29 TDs to just two interceptions) during the playoffs, catching four touchdowns across the three wins.
The NDSU program has long subscribed to the concept that field goals won’t beat it, and the Bison have done well to defend their red zone, allowing touchdowns on just 57.9% of their opponents’ opportunities.
The defense, anchored by tackle Eli Mostaert, allows 119.3 rushing yards per game. The Bobcats, though, have been over 200 rushing yards in each of their playoff wins.
When North Dakota State Has the Ball
NDSU’s offense is different in coach Tim Polasek’s first season from many recent years.
Oh yes, the Bison still flex their muscle with a ground game that’s paved by a huge starting offensive line (it’s a little bigger than Montana State’s, with tackles Grey Zabel and Mason Miller as anchors).
But Bison quarterback Cam Miller, whose 44 career wins as a starter include against the Bobcats in the 2021 FCS championship game, has set career highs in most passing statistics, including completions (239), completion percentage (72.6), passing yards (3,052) and TD passes (31).
NDSU’s 225.9 overall passing yards per game mark their highest average since 2007 and are nearly 26 more per game than in any other season since then. The breakout season of wide receiver Bryce Lance (66 receptions, 964 yards, NDSU-record 16 TD catches) has contributed significantly to it happening.
Make no mistake, the Bison’s 192.7 rushing yards per game are excellent, ranking 20th out of 129 FCS teams. However, in a program that’s been ground and pound over time, it’s the lowest average since the first FCS title season in 2011.
A recent toe injury has slowed top rusher CharMar Brown (1,104 yards, 14 TDs), but Barika Kpeenu has over 1,200 yards the last two seasons and Miller’s been over 500 rushing yards in three straight seasons.
NDSU’s six turnovers are the fewest in the FCS, but Montana State’s defense is disruptive. Half of the Bobcats’ 36 sacks have come in their last five games – defensive ends Brody Grebe and Kenneth Eiden IV have a combined for 16.5 this season – and 12 different players have at least one takeaway.
And Then There’s the FCS National Awards
Montana State and North Dakota State also will see a lot of each other at the Stats Perform FCS National Awards Banquet – two nights before the FCS championship game.
Vigen will receive the Eddie Robinson Award as the FCS coach of the year and Brown will receive the Jerry Rice Award as the FCS freshman player of the year (Jones was second in the voting). Additionally, the Walter Payton Award for FCS offensive player of the year is down to Mellott, Miller and Southern Utah running back Targhee Lambson.
Top Photo: Montana State vs. NDSU in 2023 FCS playoffs. (Garrett Becker/MSU Athletics)
Follow all of our FCS football coverage, including on X, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.
BOZEMAN, Mont. — With eight and a half minutes left in the second quarter, Tommy Mellott — aka Touchdown Tommy, aka The Boy From Butte — ran a quarterback draw straight up the middle, dodging several South Dakota defensive players.
Just a few yards from the end zone, Touchdown Tommy elevated like a Marvel superhero and dove for the goal line. A South Dakota defender upended his legs, flipping Mellott, who landed on the turf just shy of scoring.
On the next play, Mellot handed off to Scottre Humphrey for the go-ahead score Saturday in the FCS semifinals at Bobcat Stadium, putting the home team up 21-14. The Cats never looked back as they punished the Coyotes with physical play on defense and magical moves by Mr. Mellott.
Mellott went on to lead the undefeated Bobcats to a 15th straight victory 31-17 over South Dakota and a trip to the FCS national championship game Jan. 6 in Frisco, Texas.
Four MSU teammates with Wyoming roots will be with Mellott playing for the title.
Meanwhile on the South Dakota sideline, Garrett Coon of Sheridan wore shorts and a sweatshirt during the unseasonably warm game. He didn’t dress out in Bozeman, but his brother Colson on the opposite MSU sideline did.
Along with Coon, Montana State boasts three other players who played high school football in Wyoming.
These supporting cast members in the Tommy Mellott show include Dane and Brock Steel, also both from Sheridan, and Jake Vigen, son of MSU Head Coach Brent Vigen, who spent seven years as an assistant coach at the University of Wyoming in Laramie.
-
MSU transfer, current South Dakota player and former Sheridan Bronc Garrett Coon did not dress for the game against his former team, missing the chance to blast down the sideline past his brother, MSU running back Colson Coon. (David Madison, Cowboy State Daily) -
Laramie’s loss, Bozeman’s gain: No. 44 Jake Vigen left Laramie High to play for Gallatin High School in Bozeman. He’s now a sophomore defensive end playing for his father’s undefeated Bobcats. (David Madison, Cowboy State Daily) -
Coach Brent Vigen, former assistant at the University of Wyoming, is beloved in Bozeman. (David Madison, Cowboy State Daily) -
Sheridan product Dane Steel is a freshman wide receiver for Montana State. His brother Brock is a sophomore defensive back. (David Madison, Cowboy State Daily) -
A sold out crowd packed the parking lot around Bobcat Stadium before the semifinal showdown with South Dakota. Ryan Harris, Montana State University class of 2011, made the trip up from Golden, Colorado, and brought a hat made with a real bobcat pelt. (David Madison, Cowboy State Daily) -
A sold out crowd packed the parking lot around Bobcat Stadium before the semifinal showdown with South Dakota. (David Madison, Cowboy State Daily) -
Drum Major Major Dani Espiritu led Montana State’s Spirit of the West Marching Band throughout the spirited game. (David Madison, Cowboy State Daily)
Looks Like An Average Guy
Mellott stands a modest 6 feet tall, weighs 208 pounds and looks like the living cliché of the nice boy next door.
But on the field, the pride of Butte High School is a cold-blooded offensive assassin.
Now preparing for the final game of his college career, Mellott continues to rack up the accolades.
He was named Big Sky Conference Offensive MVP and a top three finalist for the Walter Payton Award. Coming into the game against South Dakota, Mellott led the nation in points responsible for (246) and passing efficiency (183.21).
Mellott has thrown 259 passes, completing 182 for 2,430 yards and 28 touchdowns on just two interceptions. Mellott also has rushed for 790 yards with 14 rushing touchdowns. His 8.6 yards per carry would lead the nation if he qualified for that NCAA stat, according to the American Football Coaches Association.
He squats as much as an offensive tackle and can outrun some FCS receivers. He’s well-known around Montana, but one of the most under-the-radar football talents now catching the attention of NFL scouts.
“Tommy Mellott, a dual-threat quarterback from Montana State, has emerged as an intriguing prospect for the NFL Draft,” reports nfldraftbuzz.com. “He ranks seventh in Montana State history with 2,474 career rushing yards and is tied for third with 29 rushing touchdowns. His passing ability has also improved, accumulating 3,241 career passing yards, good for 10th in school history. In 2023, Mellott was named Second Team All-Big Sky and won the FedEx Ground Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award, showcasing his academic prowess as a financial engineering major.
“In the 2021 playoffs, he became the first player to catch, throw, and rush for a touchdown in the first 16 minutes of a game against Sam Houston State.”
Mellott’s size could limit his opportunities as an NFL QB, but he might turn heads as a Wes Welker- or Julian Edelman-style slot receiver at the next level.
On To Frisco
The Bobcats will carry a lot of emotion into the national championship game vs. North Dakota State in Frisco, Texas.
Coach Vigen played for the Bison, then started his coaching career in Fargo. North Dakota State is also Montana State’s biggest rival after the Grizzlies at the University of Montana.
That’s because the Bison have trampled the Bobcats five times, ending their seasons and leaving hoofprints all over their game plans for a national championship.
But now a former Bison is leading the Cats as Montana State, powered by Mellott, competes for its first title since 1984.
David Madison can be reached at david@cowboystatedaily.com.
Vigil held to honor L.A. firefighter lost at sea in free dive off Long Beach
Detroit Zoo’s Wild Lights attraction is a year-round endeavor
High school seniors from the North flock to southern universities: report
SFO experiences little disruption on one of busiest travel days
Like it or not, Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy is gaining ground for a contract extension from Jerry Jones
Colorado Rockies game no. 116 thread: Zac Gallen vs José Ureña
Why Marjorie Taylor Greene was ‘kicked out’ of the Freedom Caucus according to Rep. Buck
See it: Tesla crashes into Columbus convention center at 70 mph
Fox News Politics: Georgia the whole day through
Death of missing Oregon girl found in stream ruled homicide
Trump names several new White House picks to work on AI, crypto and more: 'America First Patriots'
Small plane crashes into Brazil town popular with tourists, killing 10
Who is Sebastian Zapeta? Guatemala migrant set a woman on fire on New York City subway
Fetterman: Those hoping Trump fails are 'rooting against the nation'
AfD party calls for big rally after Germany's Christmas market attack
-
Politics1 week agoCanadian premier threatens to cut off energy imports to US if Trump imposes tariff on country
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25789444/1258459915.jpg "OpenAI cofounder Ilya Sutskever says the way AI is built is about to change")
Technology1 week agoOpenAI cofounder Ilya Sutskever says the way AI is built is about to change
-
Politics1 week agoU.S. Supreme Court will decide if oil industry may sue to block California's zero-emissions goal
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25546252/STK169_Mark_Zuckerburg_CVIRGINIA_D.jpg "Meta asks the US government to block OpenAI’s switch to a for-profit")
Technology1 week agoMeta asks the US government to block OpenAI’s switch to a for-profit
-
Business1 week agoFreddie Freeman's World Series walk-off grand slam baseball sells at auction for $1.56 million
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23951353/STK043_VRG_Illo_N_Barclay_3_Meta.jpg "Meta’s Instagram boss: who posted something matters more in the AI age")
Technology1 week agoMeta’s Instagram boss: who posted something matters more in the AI age
-
News1 week agoEast’s wintry mix could make travel dicey. And yes, that was a tornado in Calif.
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24924653/236780_Google_AntiTrust_Trial_Custom_Art_CVirginia__0003_1.png "Google’s counteroffer to the government trying to break it up is unbundling Android apps")
Technology2 days agoGoogle’s counteroffer to the government trying to break it up is unbundling Android apps