It’s not easy to go home again.
Set in the winter of 1970, Drive Back Home begins as Weldon (Charlie Creed-Miles) and his family mourn the death of their father. Shortly after, Weldon receives a call from the Toronto police. They have arrested his older brother, Perley (Alan Cumming) for having sex with a man in a public park and Weldon is the only number that he gave them. At his mother’s insistence, Weldon begins the 1000 mile trek to Toronto in order to pick up his brother. But family reunions aren’t always easy and, with awkwardness in the air, the two men begin the difficult ride home together.
Written and directed by Michael Clowater, Drive Back Home is a charming and engaging film that carries an emotional punch to its story. In many ways, the film that feels pure. It’s a simple story: two estranged brothers attempt to reconcile as they make the long journey home. But Clowater’s story and characters are so engaging that one cannot help but become wrapped up within it.
Set in a time when the gay community were forced into hiding, Clowater draws us into the relationship of these two men as they attempt to find a common ground in their uncommon worlds. Despite a system stacked against him, Perley has relocated to the city where there remains a larger community for him. Meanwhile, this is Weldon’s first time out of his small town, a place that believes all members of the gay community to be deviants. As their journey continues, Clowater sits with his characters in their awkwardness and insecurities. These are broken and imperfect people and Clowater never forces his characters to be anything else.
But what truly stands out in Back Home are the performances of its two leads. As always, Cumming delivers a performance that is both charming and heartfelt. Perley is broken but unapologetic. After all, so much of his pain is the direct result of the judgmental hearts of others. To the law of the time, his sexuality is a “real crime”. But, to him, it’s simply who he is. As a result, Perley carries a heavy emotional weight upon his shoulders and Cumming reveals that suffering behind his eyes. In every scene, we empathize with his experience, wishing for hope but watching the world around him stare with scorn.
However, there’s no doubt that Creed-Miles holds his own as well. As Weldon, Creed-Miles is more than just another ‘gruff Easterner’. On the surface, there’s a frustration about his character but, underneath, he seems lost. Holding back a deep love for his brother, he struggles to understand the world from any other perspective than that of his smalltown life. He, too, remains unapologetic but his bitterness stems from ignorance rather than hatred. Weldon isn’t sure if he’s ready to see a world larger than his own but his journey with Perley forces him to re-examine his beliefs. As such, Creed-Miles delivers an incredible performance as the conflicted brother.
Together, the men bring out the best in one another. Both Cumming and Creed-Miles sparkle in their interactions with one another. Whether they’re arguing about a stuffed dog or trying to reconnect over dinner, the two men positively light up the screen when they’re playing off of each other. These are men who are trying to find common ground for the sake of their family yet can’t fully see eye to eye.
In this way, their journey is uneasy yet also fueled by grace.
And that’s the true beauty of this long Drive Back Home. Grappling with their history with an abusive and domineering father, the two men are looking for a way forward but remain locked in the past. (“What do we do now? Go forward or go back?”, they ask at one key moment of the film.) On the one hand, to keep things the way they are feels like the easy choice. They could simply go their separate ways and pretend that the whole experience never happened.
Yet this isn’t what they seem to want. Both Perley and Weldon see the value in being changed by their encounter with one another. Perley sees the benefit of forgiving and Weldon seems to see the hope that can be shared if he changes his worldview.
But there is an emotional cost to grace. And they’re not entirely sure if they can make it.
It’s that tension that truly brings out the beauty in Drive Back Home. Based on a story within his own family, Clowater creates a story that is both funny and profound in moments. But, most importantly, the film feels honest. And that definitely makes it worth the trip.
Drive Back Home is available in theatres on Friday, December 6th, 2024.
