‘Mending the Line’: Brian Cox and Sinqua Walls Deliver in Emotional Film (Review)

We know that military veterans go through a lot when they return home from active duty. But one thing that has emerged over the years is veterans taking part in fly fishing to deal with PTSD. The new movie, Mending the Line, focuses on that subject matter and stars Brian Cox, Sinqua Walls and Perry Mattfeld. The film tells the story of how fly fishing can help those dealing with combat trauma and emotional distress. 

Mending the Line kicks off with John Colter (Walls), a Marine sergeant who leads his team on one last patrol in Afghanistan before going home. Things don’t go according to plan as many of his men are killed, and when John returns home, he is dealing with the physical and mental challenges caused by the incident. He is sent to a veterans rehab facility in Montana to heal from his wounds and meets Dr. Burke (Patrica Heaton) who notices John is not in a good mental state. After a failed group therapy session, Dr. Burke suggests that John connects with a man named Ike (Cox), a fly fisherman who is not ready to teach John the ways of the sport.

Once John and Ike get together, John is told to read more about fly fishing, which is when he meets a librarian named Lucy (Mattfeld) who suggests John should read The Sun Also Rises while not realizing one of the main characters suffered a serious war injury. The two eventually connect, but Lucy is dealing with her own trauma. Ultimately, John is doing what he can to re-enlist, but the real challenge for him is finding something other than going to combat. 

Cox is coming off his run on the hit HBO series Succession, so fans will be curious to see his next role. He had no issues playing a surly character who rarely smiles. But as the film progressed, Ike developed a connection with John which led to Cox and Walls having a great dynamic that carried the film.

Walls is an actor on the rise as he’s appeared in multiple films this year, including Nanny, White Men Can’t Jump and The Blackening (in theatres on June 16). He gave John the right amount of emotion for each scene and showed that he can play any role that is given to him. And Mattfeld put together a solid performance as Lucy and worked well with Walls. The two had strong chemistry but how things ended with their characters was one of the best parts of the film. Mending the Line also stars Wes Studi who plays Ike’s friend Harrison. Studi and Cox have a good dynamic despite it being seen in previous films. 

Along with the strong performances, the fishing scenes and the Montana scenery were breathtaking. Director Josh Caldwell makes sure viewers get to see the impact fly fishing has on a person as well as why Montana is unofficially called “The Last Best Place.” Mending the Line does enough to carry its message due to the performances of a talented cast. PTSD is an issue that needs to continue to be addressed, and this film could be an option for those looking for a new direction.