"RAGGED HEART" // 2021 AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL
RAGGED HEART, which is making its world premiere at this year's Austin Film Festival, is a unique film that blends the music drama with the supernatural. It also has many first time actors among its cast, most notably Eddie Craddock in his first leading role debut, and several musicians and artists play versions of themselves throughout the film, giving it an indie realism quality. It's an emotional journey of grief through the eyes of Wyatt Galloway (Craddock), a washed up musician as he navigates his life after the loss of his daughter, a daughter he barely knew. He's attempting to finish her final song (she was a musician as well), a song she hadn't yet completed before her sudden death. If he can finish it, he hopes he can make up for all the lost time that he missed with his daughter and redeem himself as a man. A human.
Director Evan McNary, who co-wrote the script with his sister Debrah, has crafted a unique and fine film here, one that touches on enough sentimentality without going overboard and enough supernatural without overfilling the cup. Scenes seem to flow out of the film organically, flowing beautifully from one scene to the next. The uniqueness is partly to do with some fine directing and interesting script choices but also with a great cast. Eddie Craddock anchors the film quite nicely as the man in search for redemption. Willow Avalon, also a real life musician, turns in an intriguing performance as well. And the rest of the cast are all solid additions to a story beautifully told. RAGGED HEART is indeed full of heart as well as soul and a bit of magic to boot. Catch it while you can.
GRADE: B+
WRITTEN BY Debrah McNary, Evan McNary DIRECTED BY Evan McNary STARRING Eddie Craddock, Willow Avalon, Josh Mikal, Patterson Hood, Jim White. FEATURED AS PART OF THE 2021 AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL. FOR MORE INFO: RAGGED HEART