RICH HILL – The Review

RICH HILL – Review by Dana Jung

Rural poverty in the Midwest is depicted through the eyes of three teenage boys in the ironically titled documentary RICH HILL.

The small town of Rich Hill, Missouri has neither wealth nor the rolling woodlands of the Ozarks. This is flat farm country, which barely supports the community of less than 1400 people. The film follows the daily lives of three boys in their early teens–Appachey, Andrew, and Harley–who are coping with their situations in different ways.

It becomes immediately clear that the boys are in a perpetual cycle of poverty, with all the kids living in single-parent households. The parents are dealing with their own problems of drug abuse, frustration, and social neglect, and they are passing on much of this to their children. As one father says, the best thing he can do is teach his kids how to “learn to survive.” He then proceeds to heat water on an upturned clothes iron for a child’s hot bath.

Appachey seems to be headed on a downward spiral. Although he has a raw creative talent, he is constantly angry, wearing a permanent scowl on his young face. He is a loner at school, and has a contentious relationship with his mother. His dreams of escaping the town to find money and fame seem wildly unrealistic when viewed against his day-to-day existence and limited opportunities. Already a heavy smoker (most of the kids depicted in the film smoke), Appachey’s future looks bleak.

Harley’s mother is in prison, and he is pretty much on his own. Even though he constantly professes a tough and angry nature, his actions and demeanor throughout the film don’t really support this. Although they are separated, his relationship with his mother seems to be a close one, and he talks to her regularly by phone. At one point, he astutely observes that while their phone conversation is being recorded by the prison, he is recording her with his own (film) crew. “I’m a smart kid,” he says later, “I know things. Things you don’t get from books.” While an apt self-appraisal, we wonder how far street smarts will take this rather likeable kid who collects knives.

Andrew appears to be the most well-adjusted of the boys; sweet-natured with a ready smile, he also seems to have the most realistic grasp of his life situation. It helps immensely that he also has a sister that he has a loving and supportive relationship with. Their close bond is depicted in several nice scenes that are really the only humorous moments in the film. He is also shown devotedly taking care of his ailing mother, a scenario that is repeated throughout by all the kids to some degree. As adults, most of us experience the role reversals where we take care of our parents as they age. In Rich Hill, the tragedy is this happens so early in the lives of these kids, who are really still children.

The eternal optimism and innocence of youth is still evident, as these youngsters can yet find joy in simple things like fireworks and sparklers. But the oppressive nature of their impoverished climate permeates these stories from beginning to end.

Is there any hope for these boys and their families? Postscripts for each give some indication, and at least one of them has a chance at a new beginning. But for the most part, RICH HILL paints a sad and depressing picture of life in small town America, a life that is deeply in need of help and compassion.

4 0f 5 Stars

RICH HILL  opens in St. Louis Friday August 8th at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Theater