Wildcat Theatrical Release Poster / Wikimedia Commons
CV NEWS FEED // Earlier this month, Flannery O’Connor graced the big screen in Ethan Hawke’s Wildcat. The movie surpassed all my expectations, and is a masterful representation of O’Connor, the Hillbilly Thomist.
The film, a biopic of the Catholic writer, had a limited theatrical release on May 3rd with a wider release purportedly to follow. It was directed by Ethan Hawke and stars his daughter Maya Hawke, who achieved her break on the popular Netflix series Stranger Things.
The film shifts back and forth between scenes from Flannery’s life, and scenes from the short stories and novels she has written.
Walking into the theater, I had several concerns: that the film would not be accurate; that the representation of the Catholic religion would be ignorant, or worse, hostile; and that the overall quality of the film would be poor.
It would be very easy to present a watered down version of Mary Flannery O’Connor.
She is a controversial figure in the literary world, often accused of racism, and a wry defender of the Catholic faith. Her novels and short stories are grotesque, raw, and shocking. She subverts expectations and pulls no punches in her representation of fallen man. Yet, in every story she retains a sense of hope – an opportunity for grace, which is often refused by her characters.
As an avid reader of Flannery O’Connor, I am happy to report that the film was shockingly accurate.
In regard to the script, nearly every line was an exact quotation pulled from her letters, first–hand accounts of her life, or her personal prayer journal.
While the film did over-emphasize her relationship with the poet Robert Lowell, (referred to as ‘Cal’ in the movie) that was the only factual inaccuracy. In my opinion the choice did not take away from their representation of the author.
As regards the novel and short stories depicted, they too were accurate, with dialogue plucked straight from Flannery’s pages. It seems Hawke decided not to try to improve that which is already brilliant.
As far as the religious aspect, I can safely say that this is the best representation of a Catholic character I have seen in a long time. The film did not mock Flannery’s religion, nor did they belittle its influence on her writing. Rather, they respectfully emphasized her faith, and rightly pointed out that Flannery can only truly be understood through the lens of Catholicism.
Some of my favorite quotes from Flannery: “my soul is a moth that wants to be king,” and, “Dear God, I cannot love Thee the way I want to. You are the slim crescent of a moon that I see and myself is the earth’s shadow that keeps me from seeing all the moon.” were included. They even included her famous quote about the Eurcharist.
The film recreates a scene from her life – a dinner party – at which someone remarks that the Eucharist is a lovely symbol. Flannery – awkward, shy, and decidedly southern proclaims, “If it’s just a symbol then to hell with it.” Remarking afterwards in another line from Flannery, “What people don’t realize is how much religion costs. They think faith is a big electric blanket, when of course it is the cross.”
Hawke also didn’t shy away from depicting Flannery’s suffering. Struck with lupus at 24, Flannery, who had been living her dream as a writer in New York, was confined to her mother’s farm in Georgia. Maya Hawke expertly depicts Flannery’s physical, mental, and spiritual suffering, as she must learn to live confined with her mother and her pain. In an excellent conversation with her parish priest, played by Liam Neeson, Flannery is able to come to terms with her suffering, her vocation as a writer of “scandalous” fiction, and God’s will for her life.
The cinematography and acting were incredible. Often small films depicting Catholic figures can suffer from a low budget, inexperienced actors, or tacky writing. Wildcat was different. It flowed effortlessly from Flannery’s life to her stories and back again, showing how her life and struggles impacted her writing, and vice versa.
The main actors, Laura Linney, who played Flannery’s mother Regina, Phillip Ettinger, who starred as ‘Cal,’ and Maya Hawke who played Flannery, all pulled off an incredible performance, not only as their main characters, but also as the characters in each of the short stories as well.
The range of each actor was tested and proven, and the cinematography told each story with care and the depth of emotion it merited.
This movie is not for children. Flannery O’Connor does not shy away from sex, profanity, racism, and other real-life issues of her time. While the film is not explicit, it is, in true O’Connor fashion, shocking, at times violent, and suggestive, especially when depicting her short stories. If you are curious about what you’re getting into, the stories depicted are “Everything That Rises Must Converge”, “Good Country People”, “The Life You Save May Be Your Own”, “Revelation”, and “Parker’s Back”. There are also references to Wise Blood as well.
Nevertheless I would highly recommend this movie for anyone who has read Flannery O’Connor, and for all those who will be meeting her for the first time. It is a faithful representation of Flannery: a sharp-witted, peacock loving, and God fearing woman who served the Lord in her own unique way. In our wild and broken world, it is important to remember that sometimes our suffering is not the end, but rather a beginning of God’s mission for our lives.
Readers can find Bishop Barron’s interview with Ethan and Maya Hawke here.
