Red Wing

Acclaimed director Terrence Malick executive-produced this film, but don’t think for a second that helps the quality of this problem-riddled indie flick. Malick’s stepson Will Wallace directs this adaptation of a 19th century French novella. The story is updated to the country fields of modern-day Texas, where Carl Blanton (Luke Perry!), his wife Maddie (Breann Johnson) their newborn son and Perry’s mean Momma B (a villainous Frances Fisher, the film’s only bright spot) live on the family farm. Problems arise when Maddie bonds with 9-year-old Francis, an orphan living with a foster mom in squalor on the Blanton’s property. The film topples over 30 minutes in, when out of nowhere Francis is 18 and Carl and Maddie haven’t aged a bit! The film loses all credibility at this moment. Beneath all the faux-Malick sweeping nature shots, this is nothing but a heavy-handed, corn-pone love story that feels like typical Lifetime channel fare.