Hiawatha Review: The Power of Nostalgia
"Sometimes, I forget what year it is."
Hiawatha is about two long-distance lovers trying to find a way through a major crack in their twenty-year situationship.
The audience is introduced to Claire and Rob at an Amtrak station, where Rob is picking Claire up in an old Prius. Shortly after, old trophies, bobbleheads, a Game Boy, track photos thumbtacked to the wall, and a closer look at Claire in an old Ray Allen shirt grace the screen.
Their love feels like something between two high schoolers, but they look older than that.
Writer-director Rachel Joyce does an excellent job of slowly unraveling the love affair of Claire and Rob. As they move throughout the house, recounting what happened and where, the viewer can see them recreating scenarios from two decades ago as if they’re living multiple timelines at once. But if one were to zoom in, it’s clear why they can’t ever exist outside of this scenario.
Rob has a hard time being honest with himself and, in turn, everyone around him. He lied to Carly (an old girlfriend) about speaking to Claire, he lied to Claire about the realtor, and his wife is not aware of the fact that he’s having an affair with Claire.
Claire is hopelessly striving to be chosen. She travelled on an Amtrak with short notice to see Rob. She was around for all his relationships, which she was likely pretending to be fine with; she enables his dishonesty, and she continues to make time for Rob even though she has a husband and children of her own.
These two would much rather sit with the discomfort of being the same than the discomfort they’ll face from growth.
It’s like watching a couple be trapped in a snow globe, but they don’t realize the water inside will cause them to drown.
Hiawatha is a powerful story about being confined to old thought patterns and habits, and though life is different now, only those who change their perspective have the ability to see those changes.
A fantastic watch on behalf of the Brooklyn Film Festival.
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Great review