NOW IN THEATERS! If you’ve ever had a friend or family struggle with an addiction, you know that nothing you say or do will change their ways. It seems to always happen at their rock bottom. Nora Fingscheidt’s feature, The Outrun, starts at the bottom.
Saoirse Ronan plays Rona, a young woman recently out of rehab for alcoholism. The film jumps time between the events leading up to Rona’s rock bottom moment and the present with Rona’s journey of sobriety.
The present story finds Rona returning to her mother’s home in the Orkney Islands in Scotland. By day, she tries to keep it together, resisting the temptation of alcohol, and by night, she suffers through her mother’s weekly prayer group. Rona works odd jobs birthing sheep until she can earn enough money to live on her own and ultimately pursue her passion of working as a marine biologist within an environmental organization.
In the past, we have observed Rona’s slow decline at a job she despises and her propensity to turn to alcohol whenever she feels anxious or shamed, which is always. We also focus on her relationship with her long-suffering boyfriend, whose patience and self-respect run thin.
“…the struggle of each day leading to the next, and the film counts the days…”
The Outrun can be easily mistaken for what I call a “message-movie.” It takes a challenging topic that we all have faced at some point in our lives—e.g., a son with a drug problem, a wife suffering from breast cancer, or a bipolar loved one with suicidal thoughts. All these films are essential in educating us on the causes and potential solutions to these problems, but often, the stories feel like they are simply checking boxes along the way.
This film is different when it comes to the subject of alcoholism. The film is about Alcoholics Anonymous and other recovery groups, focusing on Rona’s day 1, day 2, day 3, and so on. We put ourselves in her shoes about the struggle of each day leading to the next, and the film counts the days until she slips and the counter is reset.
The Outrun is based on the best-selling memoir of Amy Liptrot, whom I assume is a marine biologist. Throughout the film, Rona reflects on the ocean and the sea life along the shores. She opines that when we die, we become seals—discontent on land; we return to the sea. She even laments, “I can’t be happy sober.”
As always, Saoirse Ronan gives an incredible and powerful performance. The drunk version of Rona is scary and authentic, as I have witnessed her behavior with close friends and acquaintances. I also like that this story is dark and bleak for the majority of the film. Getting sober is not easy. In fact, it often feels impossible, as it shows how even small, random events can trigger a relapse, and the counter starts all over again.
Nora Fingscheidt’s The Outrun exists for the same reason Alcoholics Anonymous exists. If you have a problem, you’re not alone. Millions of others have walked the same path you have. Yes, those first steps are impossible, but there is hope. There are setbacks, and there is still hope.