A pivotal scene that can be used to describe the emotional, redemptive character study, To Leslie, happens at a local bar where Leslie (Andrea Riseborough) alone drinks her sorrows away. This small Texas bar was once a backdrop to one of her greatest accomplishments — winning $190,000 in a state lottery. Leslie had a home with her son, James (Owen Teague), but the perils of alcohol took all of that away. Years later, she returns to a town aware of her mess-ups and constantly barrages her for it. While Leslie nurses a drink, Willie Nelson’s “Are You Sure” plays over the jukebox during last call. The lyrics, “The lonely faces that you see/Are you sure that this is where you want to be,” draw tears out of her.

At first, To Leslie is precise in its depiction of hitting complete rock bottom. Director Michael Morris begins the films with clips, ending with Leslie’s joy at winning the lottery. Years later, she’s being kicked out of a hotel, homeless, and seeking her older son for a last place of refuge. Unfortunately, her alcohol addiction is determined to mess things up, and her son is left with no choice but to kick her out. It’s from the beginning where Riseborough is one of the central beacons of the film. In the beginning, Leslie is defeated and physically downtrodden, looking for affection from anywhere. Her past faults haunt her at every turn, with minimal places to go.

Leslie heads back to the tiny southern town as a last resort, where old friend Nancy (Allison Janney) and her partner Dutch (Stephen Root) begrudgingly take her in and establish ground rules. Many of the town continents (including Nancy and Dutch) will never let Leslie live her mistakes down. So, the audience is left to wonder if Leslie will gain some morsel of peace. She’s not exactly in the most nurturing of environments for that.

Writer Ryan Binaco formulated the film around his own experiences with his mother and the personal touches shown in spots. Although James’s character is not in the entire film, his presence is enough for Leslie to want to be better. But given that, there have to be actions taken in that direction. When all hope is lost after a night out, Leslie meets Sweeney (Marc Maron), an owner of a motel. The eccentric Royal (Andre Royo), a business partner he works with, is a town citizen who knows her “sad” story. Sweeney’s compassion gives Leslie room, board, and a modest salary to do maid work around the motel. Quickly, the audience will wonder if this choice will come back to bite him. At first, it does. Leslie is tardy and doesn’t do a thorough job with what she’s given. There’s a frustration apex where Royal says to her, “some people can’t see a good thing when it’s dropped on their lap.”

All Leslie sees are the pitfalls she’s found herself in repeatedly, sometimes for a good reason. At a point, you have to take specific responsibilities for what you’ve done. But, in how Sweeney sees her, not as a reclamation project, but as a person who wants to do better — hope lies ahead. To Leslie displays that forgiveness, both for yourself and those around you, can be difficult. While some parts follow drama films before it, there’s enough in the heart and performances to give the film an immediate impression.

 

 

Photo Credit: SXSW