The transition between being a child star to an adult performer is not an easy one, as roles tend to get much more competitive once a star is vying for parts attainable by a wider set of competitors. There’s always the risk that having a breakout performance as a young actor will be an impossible task for a star to move beyond, butSaoirse Ronan’s revelatory performance inAtonementonly led to more successful projects. While it’s now been nearly two decades since she made her debut, Ronan has starred inmany acclaimed coming-of-age films, includingLady Bird, Little Women, Brooklyn, How I Live Now,andThe Grand Budapest Hotel; she’s even taken on slightly more serious roles inFoeandAmmonite. However,Ronan gives her most emotionally raw and disturbing performance so farin the new dramaThe Outrun.
What Is ‘The Outrun’ About?
The Outrunis inspired by the memoir of the Scottish writer Amy Liptrot, who discussed her rehabilitation process afterstruggling with alcoholism for several years. The film allows Ronan to play the stand-in character Rona, whose experiences are virtually identical; after completing what is intended to be her final stint in rehab, Rona returns to her childhood home in the Orkney Islands in Scotland, where she attempts to find a new purpose by working at Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. However, Rona’s route to get her life back on track is not as simple as she may have initially imagined it to be. Her father, Andrew (Stephen Dillane), suffers from severe bipolar disorder, which saddles her with additional responsibilities. As she attempts to avoid drinking, Rona takes a chance on isolating herself on the remote Papa Westray island, where she hopes to find something that will rejuvenate her desire to keep going away from her addiction.
The Outrunis told in a non-linear fashion, as several flashbacks show Rona when she was at the height of her drinking. These scenes do not attempt to romanticize drinking issues in the slightest, with each incident leaving Rona embarrassed and regretful, forcing her to live a life in which she is in fear of herself.The Outrunavoids the risk of trying to pin all of Rona’s struggles on one motivating factor; while it may have been more dramatically convenient to identify just one traumatic moment that drove her to drink, the truth is that there were a multitude of factors that led to her dependence, whichThe Outrunexplores in full detail. Although the film avoids any overt moments of exposition in which information is spoon-fed to the audience, the nuances of Ronan’s performance make it very clear at which point in time the key scenes take place. This leads to a more grounded and authentic“slice of life” approachthat feels far more approachable than the more melodramatic ways in which addiction is generally depicted on screen.
‘The Outrun’ Shows a Different Side of Saoirse Ronan
The Outrunis arguably Ronan’s most challenging roleto date, as she had to show feelings of regret, longing, and nostalgia that she was never able to showcase in her coming-of-age films, which tended to feature more heightened emotions. It’s also a largely silent performance, as Rona has become so burdened by the thoughts that take over her mind that she avoids having casual conversations. The scenes with Dillane are among the most challenging to watch, as both Rona and Andrew are in a state where they’re not properly equipped to be responsible with each other. It is implied that they are waiting in the awkward silence of already having seen each other at their worst.
The greatest merit in Ronan’s performance inThe Outrunis restraint. Although it becomes clear that Rona has made tremendous steps forward by reconnecting with the natural world, it does not suggest that the road ahead will be easy, as the temptation to drink will always be there. Taking on such an intensely personal role was always going to be a challenge, but that struggle was certainly greater for someone like Ronan, who had to avoid preconceived notions aboutthe type of performance that she would be giving.The Outrunisn’t a flashy film, but with Ronan giving one of her best performances yet makes it absolutely one of the fall’s must-see titles.
The Outrun
After living life on the edge in London, Rona attempts to come to terms with her troubled past. She returns to the wild beauty of Scotland’s Orkney Islands (where she grew up) hoping to heal. Adapted from Amy Liptrot’s bestselling memoir.
The Outrunis in select theaters now. Click below for showtimes.
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