Cedar Ridge
Genre: Drama
Director: Derek Cianfrance
Writer: Joshua Collins
Cast: Lucas Hedges, Hailee Steinfeld, Spencer Treat Clark, Abigail Breslin, Josh Hamilton, Peyton List, Charlotte Ann Tucker, Lainey Jane Knowles
Plot: The film starts with Caleb Jones (Lucas Hedges cooking an elaborate Thanksgiving dinner. While on the surface it seems like any normal person fixing up a feast to feed an army, it does seem a little off-putting to see he only has a place set aside for himself. Once he sets the big turkey in the center of the table, he says, “Dinner’s ready!” and sits down to eat by himself. He intermittently changes the channels on the TV as he bites into his food. Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, The 1991 film: Dutch, Family Feud, Football, he settles on an rerun episode of ‘Home Improvement’ a Thanksgiving episode. He laughs along with the studio-laughter.
After he finishes his meal, he cleans up, putting the food and dishes away. He feels something in his pocket and pulls it out, his trusty pocket knife he carries with him. He sets it back in his pocket as he continues washing dishes and whistling.
Once finished, he makes his way into the basement: already staged for a suicide by hanging: a chair and a rope tied up around a support beam. He sets himself up and he takes that last moment of silence to nod as if to say he’s ready for it. He kicks the chair out from under his feet.
Just as he’s about the lose consciousness, a flash of a memory shows him in the passenger seat of a car, cruising down the road with his cousin, Elaine (Abigail Breslin) driving, and her daughter, Anwen (Charlotte Ann Tucker), holding her hand out the window, waving her hand in the wind. “Caleb, watch my hand,” she says. Caleb looks at her and smiles.
The memory is enough to jolt Caleb back to reality. He scrambles with one arm to get his knife while trying to buy some time with his other arm to relieve some pressure off the rope. He takes a few swipes at the rope, getting it weak enough to snap and have Caleb crash down. Coughing and choking as air flows back into him and color restores, red marks on his neck.
Caleb’s cousin, Charlotte (Hailee Steinfeld), Elaine’s sister, gets a phone call that wakes her up. Her husband, Rusty (Spencer Treat Clark) asks who it is. The camera stays on her face as she looks concerned.
Cut to Charlotte driving Caleb from his hometown of Bristol, Virginia to their home in Knoxville, Tennessee. He looks sad as he leans his head against the window. She asks if he’s alright. He says he saw ‘her’ last night while he did it and admits that he couldn’t do it. She asks who and he says ‘Anwen’ she glances at him and changes the subject, “You really should have joined us for Thanksgiving last night, you only live a couple hours away. At least you wouldn’t have been alone.” Caleb watches out the window as they pass a mental health hospital and mentions that she passed the place. She tells him she’s not gonna drop him into a nuthouse, reminding him that he’s family.
The car pulls into the driveway as Rusty steps out on the porch. The house is a nice country home on a large property, with chickens wandering around. He watches as the car comes to a stop. Caleb steps out of the car. While it may seem like an awkward reunion at first, Rusty shakes Caleb’s hand and notices a faint scar on his wrist, remains of another suicide attempt via wrist cutting. Rusty, not sure what to say, so he just says “come on in, Sadie’s been driving me crazy asking when you’d get here.”
Sadie (Lainey Jane Knowles), about 7, greets Caleb and sits in his lap as she shows him some new games and things on her tablet. Charlotte and Rusty set down at the dining table to exchange pleasantries with Caleb. Charlotte lays down the groundwork that he can stay for as long as needed, but he can’t be tying nooses up in the barn outback. Caleb chuckles and says he’ll be fine, “So much as long as I got Sadie here to keep me company.” Without delving into specifics, Rusty says its bullshit what Charlotte’s idiot sister tried to do to Caleb. Charlotte tries to keep the peace between Rusty and Elaine. “I never could trust her, she’s an addict. And Alan, that husband of hers? Something off about that guy.”
Caleb gets a brief glimpse of another flashback. He meets Alan (Josh Hamilton), Elaine’s husband. He has a bit of a standoffish presence toward Caleb on day one of his disastrous visit. Alan and Elaine spend most of their day and night hanging out in their bedroom watching TV and smoking weed. Caleb was already having a hard time: Khara, a woman Josh was talking to about dating, ended up more interested in his friend, Mike. To help clear his mind, Elaine offered to let Caleb smoke weed for his first time. After the high kicks in, Caleb stumbles through the hallway to crash on a bed. He wakes up for a moment to feel Anwen climb up into the bed with him. He mumbles about her going back to her room, but he’s still too groggy to put effort behind his words. What Caleb doesn’t notice however, is Alan passing by the bedroom door. His look hard to read.
In the present day, Josh sits on the back porch watching Sadie chase the chickens across the yard, enjoying a cup of coffee. Charlotte joins and she says Caleb should just pack up and move out here. Caleb is flattered, and Charlotte assures him, “It’ll be fun, we can fix you up with one of these cute Tennessee girls.” Caleb laughs, “Maybe she’ll have all her teeth and not hiding a methlab in her trailer house.” Charlotte playfully smacks his arm, “shut up.” Caleb tells her he’s not quite ready for any lifetime commitments, “and besides your sister was the last one to try to hook me up and she went with one of my pals instead,” Caleb looks back at Sadie’s playfulness in the backyard. “Shows you how much of a player I am.”
Rusty comes outside with a rifle, asks Caleb if he’s ever shot before. “I...play Call of Duty,” Caleb says with a nervous laugh. “You’re gonna learn today, my friend.” Rusty loads up the rifle in the back of his truck. Sadie tries to tag along, but Rusty tells her, “not just yet. Maybe for your birthday.” she scoffs, “thats what you said on my last birthday..” but she returns to the house.
The sounds of gunshots ring through the air. Close up on Rusty taking some shots at some cans. He hands Caleb the gun, teaching him the basics to not shoot himself. Caleb hesitates, understanding the power of the gun before even firing it. You can see in his tense body language how nervous he is to fire it. When he does, and hits a can dead on, an exhilarating feeling as Rusty looks proud.
Later on, Caleb sits on the porch swing staring off into the backyard. A moment of time in the flashback pops up.
Alan is sitting on the bed with Elaine. He tells her that he saw Anwen in bed with Caleb. Elaine is doubtful about something going on. Alan tells her he’s just looking out, and thinks he’s grooming her. Elaine tells him to just stop, and says she’ll talk to Caleb in the morning. When the morning does arrive, she brings it up to Caleb, saying someone his age really shouldn’t be sleeping in bed with a kid. He apologizes, explaining about how tried to tell her no, but he was just too baked to make a big deal out of it. Elaine accepts his reason, but reminds him to be careful. Caleb nods, excusing himself to use the bathroom. He takes a seat on the lid of the toilet and tears roll out of his eyes. Not because he couldn’t sleep in bed with a kid, just how he had been made to feel like something he is not. When he comes out of the bathroom, he still looks like he had been crying. Elaine sees him and asks “Are you seriously crying because I told you that you couldn’t be sleeping in the same bed with my kid anymore?” Josh replies, “No, I just..” he takes a breath, “I just want this.” he motions around the house, “nice house, family…” Elaine says, “Well you can start by not being weird around my kid.”
Current day, Caleb is still on the porch swing. He mimes loading a gun and pointing the barrel into his mouth. He’s about to pull the trigger, but Sadie comes outside to sit with him. She gives him a picture she drew and he assures her that he’ll keep it in his wallet in the same pocket as his knife. Sadie mentions how Anwen has a younger brother now, news to Caleb due to him isolating himself. Sadie asks Caleb when he’s gonna get her a cousin to hang out with. Caleb tells her that she’s more than enough for him. He looks out into the backyard and sees a silhouette of a person watching from the woods. Caleb tells Sadie to go inside and he runs toward the woods, yelling at the trespasser, but nobody is there.
Caleb goes back to the house, and asks Charlotte if he can take her car out. Charlotte agrees, but Rusty protests, concerned about letting someone on suicide watch go anywhere alone, much less with a car. Charlotte says it’ll be good for Caleb. Sadie asks her parents if Caleb is ok and they assure her that he’s fine.
Caleb takes the car out and ends up at a 24-hour gym. A few people are there, and one ends up being a young woman, Theresa (Peyton List). She helps him figure out how to turn an electric treadmill on, she takes notice of his charm. Another guy at the gym tries to hit on her, making her uncomfortable, saying she doesnt pick guys up at the gym. Caleb steps in and tells him to get lost. The guy challenges Caleb to a weight lift match. Caleb humorously asks 'dude what are you?' makes Theresa laugh. Caleb agrees to the match and humiliates the guy. Theresa asks Caleb if he wants to get out of there. He reminds her she doesn't pick guys up at the gym.and she humously says "I mean, I literally can't they weigh too much. they end up in a motel room to sleep together. She leaves her number for him when he wakes up and sees her gone. When he arrives back to his cousin’s house, they’re relieved to see him back and alive.
In the past, Anwen and Josh are playing a game on the computer while Elaine and Alan are nearby. Anwen asks Caleb if he can take her to the mall with the movie theater. Caleb mentions, “you aren’t going anywhere public unless you bathe first, stinkybutt.” he and Anwen laugh, but instead of listening to Caleb, Anwen asks Alan’s permission for Caleb to take her out and he agrees.
Its a nice time at the mall, wandering around, seeing a movie, Anwen playing on the bungee trampoline, riding on a small carousel. He watches her with quiet affection.
Present day, Caleb and Theresa are having a date in Gatlinburg. Site seeing, walking the skybridge, etc. They stop into a restaurant for a lunch break. He tells her a silly trivia about how sloths can hold their breath underwater for up to 40 minutes. Theresa laughs wondering how he knows that. He says it helps keep his mind occupied. She notices the scars on his wrists and tries to ask about them. He tells her its what happens when he’s not thinking about the amazing lungs of sloths. With an understanding nod, she says she’s glad he’s here.
He pulls his wallet out to pay the tab and Sadie's drawing comes with it. It gets Theresa's attention and she mentions its a cute picture. Theresa says he seems like a guy who likes kids. Caleb smirks, shaking his head. “Tolerant is more like it. And just the ones in my family. I’m not out here making balloon animals for strangers.” She laughs. “That’s good to know, at least you know how good of a dad you'd be.” She leans back, thoughtful. “I had an uncle like that—funny, protective. I could tell him anything, and he’d take me to the park every weekend. When my dad died, I wanted him to walk me down the aisle one day, but... he passed too soon.” Caleb’s expression softens. “I’m sorry.” Theresa gives a small, sad smile. “It’s okay. We all need something—or someone—to live for. I think he’d want me to remember that.” He places his hand in hers.
After the date, she drops him off at his cousins house. After exchanging goodbyes, she watches as Caleb gets out and he gets a big greeting from Sadie. She jumps in his arms and he twirls her around. He sets her down and joins her at chasing the chickens around the yard. Caleb notices Theresa still watching and waves at her. She returns a wave and drives away.
In the past, Elaine is getting some work done on her computer. Anwen and Caleb are watching a movie on the couch. Alan wanders in the room and tells Anwen to clean her room. She says she’ll do it after the movie and calls her by his name. He gets frustrated and demands she call him dad. She smirks and in a defiant moment of testing him, she says “ok, Alan.” Alan pulls her out of her seat, swats her on the butt and sends her out of the room. An uncomfortable silence fills the air for a few moments. Caleb goes to comfort Anwen, asking if she’s alright and trying to tell her not to upset her stepdad, but Caleb hears Elaine marching up the hallway shouting, “I will give her a bath, you don’t need to give her a bath..” the words confuse Caleb and he stares daggers at Elaine before leaving the room.
Later that night, with everyone asleep in their rooms, Caleb gets on the computer. When the screen turns on, he notices a tab open from messenger. It says “new message from Khara.” Out of morbid curiosity, he opens the message up. He reads blurbs of the messenger that show them talking about Caleb. Messages like “and he cried because I told him he couldn’t sleep with my 6-year old in his bed. You should have seen how pissed he was when I told him I didn’t want him to bathe her. What the fuck dude?!” and responses from Khara like “I knew there was something off about him, that’s why I decided not to date him and went with Mike instead. I didn’t think he’d be some kind of pedo. Eww.” Caleb’s heart sinking as he stares at the messages, “I need to get him away from her. If he touched her I swear to God…”
Caleb wastes no time packing his bags. He does take one final look at Anwen through the ajar door, a silent goodbye before he gently closes her door. He gets in his car and before he can start the engine, he puts his head on the wheel. He tries to take some deep breaths before giving himself a few slaps in his face.
Present day, Caleb sits in a chair in the living room, Sadie has fallen asleep in his lap as he holds her in a protective embrace. Charlotte takes a seat next to them. She mentions Sadie saw you brought home by a woman. He laughs and says Theresa. He says he may have met someone and didn’t need to bribe her to date him. Charlotte says that he’s a good catch, even if he doesn’t see it. Charlotte asks if she remembered the solar eclipse earlier this year. Caleb nods along. Charlotte tells the story that she and Sadie were with Elaine, Alan and Anwen. She explains how she just got a bad feeling about him. The way he looked at Anwen. She says she told Anwen how to use car keys as a self-defense weapon. Charlotte tells Caleb that she confronted Alan at the solar eclipse, and Elaine took Alan’s side, saying Charlotte was just trying to ruin her family. “Do you want to know what happened a few months later?” Charlotte asks. Caleb hesitates before answering. “What?” he asked. Charlotte says, “He raped her, Caleb.” Caleb’s entire body goes numb, Charlotte added, “And instead of facing the consequences of his actions, he killed himself.”
As 'Silent Night Holy Night' plays in the background, Caleb goes for a walk around the neighborhood, feeling the weight of what Charlotte told him. He checks out the Christmas lights and decorations for the houses. Snowmen built in some front yards. He can see through some windows decorated trees, and even a family decorating a tree together. He looks to the twinkling stars and says, "Sorry Anwen," before walking back to Charlotte's house.
The next day, Caleb is ready to load up and go home in Charlotte’s car as they head back to Bristol, Virginia. Caleb scrolls on his phone and sees an obituary for Alan to lay proof to Charlotte’s claim the night before. Caleb closes his eyes and he gets a dream/flashback of the aftermath of his return home from his last visit with Elaine. Khara had told Mike and Mike told the other friends. When Elaine finds out Khara spread the word, she gets mad, didn’t want anyone to say anything until she could talk with Anwen. The news just seems to spread among friends and locals. When Caleb gets home, his friend/roommates throw him out despite him trying to explain his innocence. His family won’t talk to him either. He confronts Elaine and she explains that she spoke with Anwen and the whole thing got blown out of proportion, that when she asked if Caleb hurt her, she said no. Caleb says, “Well, everyone thinks I’m a freak now. Fuck you,” he hangs up on Elaine, he pulls his pocket knife out, holding the blade against his wrist.
The image jolts Caleb awake, just as they arrive at his home. He thanks Charlotte for putting him up. She assures him he’s always welcome and to truly consider moving closer to them.
We get some glimpses into Caleb’s lonely life in Missouri again. He hesitates for a moment to call Elaine, deciding not to. In his basement, a part of the rope he used to hang himself at the beginning still dangles from the support beam. He cuts the rest of the rope down as a way to show he’s moving on from attempts on his own-life. As he watches some TV, he fishes out from his pocket, the picture Sadie for him. He smiles as he examines it before putting the picture away.
In a store, as Christmas music is heard on the store radio, Caleb is shopping, unaware of a couple of guys stalking him. When he leaves the store, they confront him. They say its the pervert out in the wild. Caleb tries to tell him he’s not out looking for trouble. They mock and ridicule him before one of them punches him in the face. One digs through his pocket trying to find his wallet and pulls out Sadie’s picture. His assailant insults him saying he’s sick and shouldn’t be walking around with a kid’s picture in his pocket. He tears it up in front of Caleb. They start to walk away, but Caleb tackles the guy who stole his picture, pummeling him with fists. His friends try to help, but they see the anger and pure hatred in Caleb’s face and step back. After everything: from wrongful accusations, what happened to Anwen, how he’ll never truly be safe in his hometown. The destruction of his picture was that last straw. Caleb leaves the guy beaten and bloodied.
Caleb shows up at Theresa’s doorstep with bags in his arms. When she answers, he says, “I never finished telling you about sloths.” She smiles and says, “I got all time in the world.” and steps aside to let him in.
Caleb, Charlotte, Rusty, Sadie and Theresa are all together at Charlotte's home to spend time together for Christmas. Caleb steps out to the front porch and sees a car pull up. Anwen opens the car door, sees Caleb and runs into his arms. He sees Elaine in the driver's seat and decides to take a moment to talk with her. He sees Anwen's baby brother asleep in his car seat. He asks if she is gonna come in and she says she's just dropping Anwen off to get some cousin time in with Sadie, "and well, I know things aren't really there for my sister and I," Elaine says. "I'm sorry about what happened with Anwen..Alan.." Caleb says, Elaine cringes at the sound of his name, but she says, "I'm sorry, I know I failed you—and Anwen—but I want to make it right. Letting you see her..I hope it’s enough for now," she says. Caleb smiles, "Well..it's a start."
With "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" playing in the background, Caleb finishes up the talk with Elaine and carries Anwen into the house as Elaine pulls out of the driveway. He watches her for a moment before heading inside. He takes a seat next to Theresa, holding and kissing her before Anwen and Sadie jump up into the seat with them. Caleb smiles, shakes his head and laughs as if he can't get two minutes with Theresa before the kids gotta jump on him. A smile grows on Theresa's face as if seeing a future with Caleb and their own little ones before her eyes.
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