Sunfish (& Other Stories on Green Lake) - Sundance 2025
Film
Lives intertwine around Green Lake as a girl learns to sail, a boy fights for first chair, two sisters operate a bed-and-breakfast, and a fisherman is after the catch of his life.
As a born and raised Wisconsinite, here is a movie that captured so much of what it felt like to spend part of your summer 'way up north there' in a land of lakes on sky blue waters. Written and directed by Sierra Falconer, a Midwest-native born and raised in Michigan, Sunfish (and other Stories on Green Lake) felt oh so familiar but also fresh and inventive. There's a small-town feel to the subject matter and characters detailed in this anthological story, and in the best way possible, I felt this film more so than watched it. To the film's credit, I identified with the ups and downs of these characters and was remained invested in each story vignette from start to finish, no matter how routine or silly things became. Sure, I might have been the target audience for this film, but even still, I found the sum of the film's four parts came together and added up to an enjoyable viewing experience.
SPOILERS APLENTY
There are four episodes in this anthology, named "Sunfish," "Summer Camp," "Two Hearted," and "Resident Bird," all of which interwine and are loosely connect, more so through their core themes and story ideas than their actual plot details. I found the general looseness in the connectivity between these stories to be a more effective way of conveying the film's intentions than I would have if there were overly constructed throughlines. Sure, there is overlap that ties things together, but those details peripheral and nearly inconsequential to each section. Broadly speaking, I found that each section was at least in part about the difficulties that come with growing up, whether that reckoning with one's family or one's own internal struggle. There is a similar synergy that links "Sunfish" to "Summer Camp," some connective tissue that links "Summer Camp" and "Two Hearted," a narrative hand-off between "Two Hearted" and "Resident Bird," and a full-circle moment at the end of "Resident Bird" that perfectly ties back to and hands off once more to "Sunfish." There's no need for me to unpack these connection points any further since the film doesn't really rely on them anyways. What the film understands and communicates in a beautiful way is that it's not important where you're going - its about if and how you get there. The characters in these episodes are all uniquely sketched but not always thoroughly drawn. That could be a knock against the film for some, but for me, I found there to be a kind of beauty in some of the ambiguity, a choice that might actually lead to wider universality to each character and story.
There's no question that Sunfish (and Other Stories on Green Lake) is a labor of love, and the honest and pure affection that Falconer has for these characters and their stories reverberates through every shot. She is undoubtedly a talented writer and shows off some impressive filmmaking chops, too. I not only recommend this to viewers who are hoping to reach out and grab hold of some of the Midwest ethos baked into this film, but I hope film fans seek this out as well and see the start of a promising career for Falconer.
Froth
Another tap from our Salt Lake City brewery tour! This one comes from Level Crossing Brewing Company (with their mesmerizing wood fire pizza oven), the Fruit Bat, a spring/summer seasonal blonde ale (that I must have caught early in the spring season since I had it in January???) This was a super drinkable, fruit-forward golden ale that was a little tart, even less hops, but a smooth pleasant finish. If I was staying consistent with Sunfish, I would have reviewed a Bell's Two Hearted IPA (which is the beer of choice in the third episode "Two Hearted"), but I had to give some love to another one of our stops in Salt Lake. Thanks for putting up with us Level Crossing, and just so you know, I really appreciate the funky artwork framed on the wall next to our table.
