Filmmaker Cole Webley’s emotionally devastating drama, Omaha, features a performance by John Magaro that is full of raw emotion, frustration, and intensity.
This is the best work Magaro has done thus far, and he has been a driving force in the world of independent cinema with his best performance before this one being his complex supporting turn in 2023’s great film, Past Lives.
Magaro plays a father to a young boy and a young girl in the road movie, Omaha. Wyatt Solis and Molly Belle Wright portray the kids, Charlie and Ella. Both child performers are simply superb in terms of the way they create their emotions within the context of the very delicate subject matter that this movie presents to the viewer, scene after scene.
As the film opens, the dad is being told by a sheriff to clear out his home as he packs up his kids in a car in order to begin a journey to Omaha, Nebraska.
This family has a dog that goes with them on their journey, and there’s an overwhelming sense of sadness in the fact that the family is being unseated from their house. We later learn that the kids’ mother has passed away, which was a driving force in the family’s eviction.
On the road, there are a lot of positive moments between the father and his kids. There is humor, too, as Charlie and Ella make jokes about what they would “rather do” when confronted with some gross situations.
Like in Little Miss Sunshine, the family car needs to be given a push every now and then, and the family does that in order to keep the old car running and moving.
Omaha played at the Sundance Film Festival. It’s the type of movie that shows small-town people in difficult situations. Magaro conveys a wide range of emotions in his role as he goes from being a loving dad to a colder man in a matter of minutes as he considers the unfortunate predicament he and his family have found themselves in.
Of course, the dog must be given to a shelter, and the kids try to fight their father on this decision. Molly Belle Wright is fantastic as she struggles to convince her father to keep the dog with them on their journey. Wright is very strong in terms of the way she expresses herself on-screen, and it’s a remarkable performance.
The most special thing that Omaha does is show the viewer the way that family interactions can help shape an unbreakable bond that cannot be taken lightly. It’s impossible not to be moved by the father’s interactions with the kids he knows he can no longer support financially.
Magaro’s character must make some hard decisions in Omaha. He’s not easy to sympathize with at every interval of the film. We understand his sorrow and his frustrations thanks to Magaro’s terrific work, but the character is not the most accessible one for audiences to fully relate to.
John Magaro tests his versatility as an actor with each and every role he does. He creates his role in Omaha with terrific precision, making the final outcome of the movie that much more wrenching to behold.
This film reaches a conclusion that is very powerful. Family bonds are tested and choices are made that will break the viewer’s heart. Talia Balsam makes a late appearance as a nurse in the movie, and she does a great job in a scene opposite Magaro that may be the most difficult one to watch in the entire film.
Omaha is a movie that can really make an impact in terms of helping people understand what American families can go through at their lowest points in life.
When Magaro must decide what items to put back that his food stamps can’t cover, it’s a heart-wrenching moment within the picture. Omaha makes an impact like few films have made recently.
Wyatt Solis is not to be overlooked, either for his sensitive performance as the young son. Omaha ultimately teaches us that family is very important in life and that we can never lose sight of the bigger picture, even when times get so hard that they seem unbearable to experience.
John Magaro delivers the performance of his career in the devastating and powerful Omaha, so don’t miss the opportunity to see it.
Omaha is currently playing in select theaters.
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Thomas Duffy
Thomas Duffy is a Critics Choice member who has written film reviews for most of his life, starting at age 11 when he crafted his first full length movie critique on the film, "Roxanne," a Cyrano story featuring Steve Martin. As a result of that review and other movie obsessive writing, Thomas was awarded a creative writing award in sixth grade. Thomas is the proud author of nine books, including two highly acclaimed novels, "To Never Know" and "Social Work." Thomas can be found on X (formerly known as Twitter) or at a New York City movie theater watching the latest hit or independent movie. You can also run into him at Tribeca or at the New York Film Festival.