The Rivals of Amziah King: The Beauty of Life is Found in Its Balance
By John Kirk
Rating: A
There’s a beauty to the natural balance of things. Take the beehive. Honey, the product of bees in a hive, has just enough sweetness combined with a smooth texture to bring a wholesome and comforting relief that truly satisfies.
I’ve just described what it’s like to view The Rivals of Amziah King.
Amziah King (Matthew McConaughey) is a bluegrass musician, local apiarist, and the spiritual heart of his small Oklahoma town. He is one of those people who helps, leads by example, and is well-loved by those around him. He readily makes music with his fellow bluegrass aficionados, farms his bees, and rarely wastes a moment of life.
He’s the neighbour you’ve always wanted, and his love of life extends to everyone he meets, even the police when they come asking about the criminal aspects of beekeeping.
It’s true. Beekeeping and honey production are largely unregulated industries in North America; both rely on the ethics of beekeepers. Apiaries set their own prices and there are strains of honey with prices dependant on the nature of the nectar the bees collect. White clover honey, in this case, is highly desired.
When King is reunited with his former foster daughter Kotari (Angelina LookingGlass), he sees a chance to create a family legacy, to leave something noble behind that will outlive him. He teaches her about bees, about living life with music, and most importantly about the value of community using bees as an allegorical comparison.
It’s impossible to resist the allure of King’s hometown goodness. A fried steak sandwich with tater tots, washed down with a cherry coke while strumming mandolins and banjos to the most vibrant bluegrass music you’ve heard (some impressively performed by McConaughey himself) is our first introduction to this world. It’s simple, natural, and beautiful.
The performances have the same standard, from the band to the casual workers King employs to the police investigators and finally to the nefarious Dob McCoy (Kurt Russell) whose criminal enterprises threaten the balance of the community. It’s easy to accept and believe these characters because their motivations are very relatable.
Who doesn’t love a hero? Especially when that hero is a genuine good-guy, a point underscored by McConaughey’s Southern charm. This character plays so naturally that it’s difficult to believe it wasn’t tailor-made for him.
Yet it wasn’t. In the production notes, director Andrew Patterson confirms that, “In my farthest fetching illusions, I was not imagining an actor of Matthew’s stature wanting to play Amziah.”
LookingGlass, in her debut film role as the grateful daughter, is also wonderful. When you hear her character’s backstory about her childhood and the two years she and her brother spent with King and his wife, you want LookingGlass as your own adopted daughter.
The bluegrass musical numbers are an element of joy. Everything that transpires in this film, whether it’s above-board or deep in the criminal underbelly of the beekeeping world, is given an absolution of sorts.
There is a definite structure to this film. The first half sets up the audience for how joyous this lifestyle is. Humour, a spirit of welcome, and a sense of belonging is well-established. In the second half we see the gritty fight to keep all this happiness intact. It’s a clever reminder of the balance of life, and the value of community.
Music, the rhythm of the bees in the pasture, potluck dinners. Then there’s the gentle sweet taste of white clover honey dancing on the tip of your tongue to remind you of its natural satisfaction and joy. Then there’s this film. They’re kind of the same.
The Rivals of Amziah King. Directed by Andrew Patterson, written by James Montague. Starring Matthew McConaughey, Angelina LookingGlass, Jake Horowitz, Scott Shepherd, Rob Morgan, Tony Revolori, Owen Teague, Bruce Davis, Cole Sprouse and Kurt Russell. In theatres August 14.