The Dry Land

Some stories bear repeating. In fact, people love to retell a tale and this simple fact has spawned the tradition of travelling troubadours, of fairy tales and oral histories, of myths and legends. Some tales are retold in remembrance of great deeds or great heroes; some tales are moral warnings - designed to teach us or at the least arm us against our human failings. We repeat stories because we need to hear them again. The Dry Land is a story you've heard before. It bears repeating.

James (Ryan O'Nan) returns from Iraq to a small town in Texas and not much has changed there. He comes home to his wife (America Ferrara,) his ailing mother (Melissa Leo,) the only work available and beers after with the boys. But James has changed a great deal and as he finds himself less and less able to cope, he becomes more and more obsessed with remembering what happened to him. So he hooks up with an army buddy (Wilmer Valderrama) and heads off to Walter Reed ... and answers he may not want to hear.

It is estimated that about 20% of combat veterans will develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Written and directed by Ryan Piers Williams, The Dry Land is a admirable attempt to bring to light their suffering. Ryan O'Nan delivers a powerful, heart wrenching performance as a man in flux - struggling to put into perspective experiences that are unthinkable. The National Alliance for Mental Illness put their seal of approval on this film for it's accuracy in portraying PTSD. I'll admit it was painful to watch (and give a warning to animal lovers that there is a pretty nasty scene involving the butcher of a cow,) but it's a story worth watching. Again.

Website here. More info on PTSD here. Another telling of the tale here.