Dandelion shows the power of self-belief
Theatrical movie review/Interview - Drama/Romance
Recently, a man wrote an op-ed about how Taylor Swift is a bad role model for girls. It goes on with a lot of profoundly sexist and outdated reasons that aren’t worth discussing but essentially boil down to what a woman, even one as wildly successful as Taylor Swift, can do for a man. It’s disheartening, to be sure. What was interesting was how some of those same themes show up in Nicole Riegel’s latest film, Dandelion, releasing in select theaters on July 12.Â
Dandelion (Kiki Layne) is a musician struggling to make a name for herself. Just as her career was beginning to take off, she had to put aside things to care for her ailing mother, Jean (Melanie Nicholls-King), someone who had not been terribly supportive of her work. When Dandelion realizes that she needs to make a change in order to see her career grow, she takes a trip to a motorcycle rally in South Dakota. While there, she meets Casey (Thomas Doherty). The two of them have an instant connection, and she begins to see him as the answer to her desire to make it in the music business. But as Casey's story comes to light, Dandelion realizes that she may be the one who saves herself.
This was a beautiful film. First of all, it is gorgeous to look at. The lighting is exquisite, and the shots are just stunning from beginning to end. The music is also really wonderful, gently leading you through the story. The performances, particularly from Layne, all help elevate the film’s story.
Layne’s character goes through a lot over the course of the film, and watching her blossom is really something special. She embodies the rage of feeling like you’re pouring your heart into a gig where no one is paying attention, but we also see her sense of uncertainty when Casey doesn’t show up for a performance they are doing together. She wants to do it on her own, but she also believes that she needs someone else to make this work.Â
That’s where the story works best. When it examines the push and pull between collaboration and relying on yourself. When you see someone whose performance is elevated by another’s involvement but also is held back by that same involvement. When you see a woman believe that it requires a man to become truly successful. These elements were all incredibly strong and thoughtful.
The story does suffer from some pacing issues, and those were largely related to Dandelion’s relationship with her mother. While parental support or disinterest plays a role in the confidence of the person trying to make their way in the world, that never felt fleshed out in a way that really drove the story, and the wrap-up to that story felt deeply unearned. The movie either needed an extra fifteen minutes of material to give us more insight into that relationship or pull the fifteen minutes in the film because that bogged down the rest.Â
But that stumble aside, Dandelion is an impressive look at trying to make it in a world where there are so many obstacles to success. And a razor-sharp look at how often one of the largest obstacles can be a woman’s self-doubt.
Check out my interview with writer and director Nicole Riegel about Dandelion.