Return

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Overview

A weary war veteran grows increasingly isolated after returning from her tour of duty, waging a valiant fight to stay connected to the people she loves in the town where she grew up in this earnest drama starring Linda Cardellini and Michael Shannon. Kelli (Cardellini) has just returned home from serving her country, and all she wants is to experience life the way it was before the war. But as her friends seek solace in the minutia of small town life and her children vie for her undivided attention, a chasm ...
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Overview

A weary war veteran grows increasingly isolated after returning from her tour of duty, waging a valiant fight to stay connected to the people she loves in the town where she grew up in this earnest drama starring Linda Cardellini and Michael Shannon. Kelli (Cardellini) has just returned home from serving her country, and all she wants is to experience life the way it was before the war. But as her friends seek solace in the minutia of small town life and her children vie for her undivided attention, a chasm begins to open up between Kelli and her loving husband Mike (Shannon), who can't relate to her experiences on the battlefield. Now, as Kelli becomes a stranger to the very people she grew up with, her life begins to take a series of unexpected turns that leave her struggling to forge a new path into the future.
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Special Features

Audio commentary with Liza Johnson and cinematographer Anne Etheridge; Deleted scenes
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Editorial Reviews

All Movie Guide - Jason Buchanan
It's hard enough for most of us to imagine the pain of leaving our families behind to fight a war overseas, with no guarantee that we'll ever make it back home alive; now imagine the trauma of returning to the town where you grew up after fighting that war, and realizing that the friends you've known your whole life are suddenly strangers. This is the plight faced by stoic veteran Kelli, capably played with quiet desperation by film-and-television veteran Linda Cardellini, in writer/director Liza Johnson's compelling and earnest debut feature Return. But while veterans and their loved ones will surely be moved by the honesty with which the filmmaker approaches this delicate character study, murky plotting, a detached protagonist, and a poignant yet abrupt ending prevent the drama from truly resonating. Kelli Cardellini has just returned home from serving her country, and all she wants is to experience life the way it was before the war. But as her friends seek solace in the minutiae of small-town life and her children vie for her undivided attention, a chasm begins to open up between Kelli and her loving husband Mike Michael Shannon, who can't relate to her experiences on the battlefield. Now, as the comfortable life Kelli once knew becomes a distant memory, she struggles to forge a new path into an uncertain future. With the Iraq War winding down and the subject of returning veterans a hot topic of discussion, Johnson's debut feature arrives at just the right time to get us thinking seriously about how we welcome home our servicemen and women. Quiet and reflective, the film does a commendable job of conveying the difficulties these soldiers face as they attempt to reintegrate themselves into society, with Johnson's naturalistic dialogue and the movie's handheld camerawork giving it an intimate cinema verité feel. Alternating between Kelli's work life and family life early on, the screenplay opts for a restrained, low-key approach that's perfectly complimented by Cardellini's withdrawn, hollow-eyed performance. The more time we spend with the character, the more apparent it becomes that, despite knowing street names and recognizing familiar faces, Kelli is hopelessly lost in her own hometown; she's emotionally adrift and reluctant to face reality as she repeats her mantra, "a lot of people had it a lot worse," whenever pressed about her wartime experience. Kelli just wants to forget about her tour of duty, but something inside simply will not let her. The subtle approach that draws us into the story early on becomes its greatest liability later, however, when Kelli's fragile web of support begins to fall apart, sending her into a tragic tailspin that threatens life-altering repercussions. By refusing to allow Kelli any scenes of recognizable catharsis, Johnson neglects to give her film -- or the character -- an emotional core. As a result, Return hits a dramatic plateau somewhere near the mid-point and never swells to a satisfying conclusion despite some nice directorial touches a conversation between Kelli and her eldest daughter, played at a distance and with the dialogue inaudible, tells us everything we need to know without a single word and strong performances all around. Fast gaining a reputation as one of the most talented actors of his generation, Shannon portrays Kelli's husband Mike with a sense of playfulness that keeps us connected to him even after he reveals a troubling secret. And as a drug-addicted fellow veteran who defends Kelli during an intense group-therapy session, Mad Men star John Slattery offers a haunting glimpse into her future should she fail to take control of her life. Sadly, after the title takes on a new meaning late in the story, Kelli's journey and the film come to an abrupt end, effectively robbing Return of a real resolution. Though ambiguity can be a powerful tool for encouraging deeper thought and intelligent discussion when used in the right context, here it merely serves to stop the story rather than end it. Still, despite this shortcoming, Johnson makes an impressive feature debut buoyed by some genuinely memorable performances. And by displaying a talent for tackling such a difficult subject matter with confidence and control in the director's chair, she'll likely be a big talent to watch in the future.
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 4/24/2012
  • UPC: 741952719793
  • Original Release: 2011

    • Rating:

  • Source: Ent. One Music
  • Sound: Dolby AC-3 Surround Sound
  • Time: 1:37:00
  • Format: DVD
  • Sales rank: 43,054

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits
Linda Cardellini Kelli
Michael Shannon Mike
John Slattery , Bud
Talia Balsam , Julie
Paul Sparks Ed
Emma Rayne Lyle , Jackie
Bonnie Swencionis Cara Lee
Louisa Krause , Shannon
Rosie Benton Brooke
James Murtagh Mr. Miller
Technical Credits
Liza Johnson Director, Producer, Screenwriter
Kerry Barden Casting
Charlie Birns Associate Producer
Abigail E. Disney Executive Producer
Anne Etheridge Cinematographer
T. Griffin Score Composer
Noah Harlan Producer
Chen Harpaz Sound Mixer, Sound/Sound Designer
Ben Howe Producer
Aaron Levine Co-producer
Erika Munro Costumes/Costume Designer
Amy J. Rapp Executive Producer
Joe Rudge Musical Direction/Supervision
Paul Schnee Casting
Meredith Vieira Executive Producer
Inbal Weinberg Production Designer
Paul Zucker Editor
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Scene Index

Disc #1 -- Return
1. Chapter 1 [3:55]
2. Chapter 2 [5:57]
3. Chapter 3 [5:22]
4. Chapter 4 [7:06]
5. Chapter 5 [13:16]
6. Chapter 6 [6:43]
7. Chapter 7 [17:39]
8. Chapter 8 [10:20]
9. Chapter 9 [8:05]
10. Chapter 10 [9:24]
11. Chapter 11 [5:36]
12. Chapter 12 [4:27]
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Menu

Disc #1 -- Return
   Play
   Scenes
   Setup
      Audio
         5.1 Dolby Digital
         2.0 Stereo
      SDH English Subtitles: On
      SDH English Subtitles: Off
      Resume
   Extras
      Theatrical Trailer
      Deleted Scenes
         Play All
         Dancing
         Bubble Wrap
         Military
         Christmas Store
         Skateboard
      Audio Commentary with Director Liza Johnson and Cinematographer Anne Etheridge: On
      Audio Commentary with Director Liza Johnson and Cinematographer Anne Etheridge: Off
      Resume
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